Papillon
by waterwingeddove
Summary: It takes two Champions to face both the political and cataclysmic problems that await Kalos, but even then, it is unsure if Diantha and Cynthia can do it on their own. [Phaesporiashipping/Diantha x Cynthia.] [Sequel fic to Silver Screens. Please read that one first!]
1. The Comeback

**A/N: I'm back with the first chapter of the sequel! To any new readers, hi! You're going to definitely want to read the original series first, so please check out my other work Silver Screens! You will miss out on a lot of references if you don't, as well as the juicy romance! That's a good segue into my other point for my returning readers too. I promise that this work is not moving away from Diantha and Cynthia's romance, far from it and in fact I'm even adding more romances alongside that one, but I'm also going to take a more actiony approach with this sequel. All the drama and hurdles from the last fic have been solved already, so it's time now to instead build off of that and take it to a whole new level. I'm also going to put some more focus on the supporting cast alongside Diantha and Cynthia here; the last fic had those two rather isolated. It's time to branch out and get a little wild and get into some trouble. I hope you're all ready, because I'm sure the fuck not**

* * *

The racks of clothes were filled with gorgeous pastels in varying levels of intricate fashion. Boutique Couture truly was a high-end place. There was no way any of the clothing was fit for someplace other than some ritzy gala or a red carpet, yet Gardenia and Diantha were running to and fro throughout the store, pulling clothes off the racks to try on and with smiles on their faces. They giggled each time they passed each other, clearly giddy from the whole shopping experience, and they had amassed a huge pile of cute clothes to buy. For Cynthia and Elizabeth, though… They were having a very different level of success finding any clothes.

"...Huh." Cynthia smacked her lips, just looking around. She and Elizabeth were standing someplace off in the corner, arms crossed and unwavering.

"Yeah." Elizabeth joined in, "I don't see a color darker than pastel lavender here."

"I know. It's so light in here. I don't like it."

Elizabeth uneasily glanced around with narrowed eyes, "I don't see a lick of black in here."

"Or even grey, for that matter." Cynthia sighed, "What is this? Floral heaven?"

"Hey, hey! Easy! There's grey clothes right over there!" Elizabeth countered, voice dripping with sarcasm. She pointed to a mannequin that had a shirt on that was barely even one shade darker than white as snow.

Cynthia rolled her eyes, "All this color is making me sick… I wonder if we can slip out."

"I don't believe Mademoiselle Superstar is gonna like that if you ditch her." Elizabeth pointed to Diantha with her thumb, "Come on… Maybe we just didn't look hard enough. There's gotta be something dark in here… There has to be…"

Letting out a sigh, Cynthia slumped her shoulders in defeat. Elizabeth had a point. Diantha certainly wouldn't like it if Cynthia just upped and left in the middle of their shopping day. Maybe she and Elizabeth did look over any dark clothing. They could just be hidden. Elizabeth dragged Cynthia throughout the boutique, on the lookout for anything darker than a pastel, and to Elizabeth's surprise, she found the faintest hint of black in one of the racks.

"Ah-ha!" Elizabeth exclaimed, reaching out for the hanger to pull out that black item. The second she saw it in its entirety though, her expression dropped, "...What's this even supposed to be? Is it a skirt or a top?"

"...I don't think it would cover anything no matter what it was supposed to be." Cynthia sighed, "It's so small."

Elizabeth looked the strange garment over with a pout but something popped into her mind, "You know, this could be a valuable contribution to that clubbing outfit of yours."

Narrowing her eyes, Cynthia clenched her jaw and tried to stop herself from growling, "That was over a year ago. Can you let that go yet?"

"'Fraid not." Elizabeth teased with a grin while she set the top/skirt/whatever it was back on the rack.

Diantha made her way over to Cynthia and Elizabeth after that, a plethora of clothes in her arms, "Hey! ...Oh. Have you guys not been able to find anything yet?" Diantha asked in reference to the fact that Cynthia and Elizabeth had picked out no clothes.

Elizabeth looked at Cynthia and stepped back, leaving Cynthia to explain that one. Shooting her sister a glare for a moment, Cynthia then looked back at Diantha with a guilty grin, "Ah… No, nothing yet. Do you know if there's anything in here that's… you know… black?"

Part of Diantha wanted to laugh at that; she should've expected it, but at the same time, there was part of her that looked pretty disappointed, "Oh, chérie… Black is not a spring color."

"It is in Sinnoh and Unova…" Elizabeth muttered, crossing her arms.

Diantha pursed her lips for a moment in thought, but eventually she wound up grinning to herself, "Heh. You two have a point. I think I know a place that'll fit you two better."

"What are you waiting for?!" Elizabeth shot up, "Spill it, sister! I wanna shop too!"

Cynthia held her arm out in front of her sister, "Easy, Liz… This is supposed to be a group shopping day. We can't just leave. You said it yourself, remember? It'd be rude to Diantha and Gardenia both if we ditched them."

"Hang on now, Cynthia." Diantha smiled still, "I'm glad to know that you care, but I want you to have fun too! We can always just meet up at Augustine's lab after we all get to shopping for a while!"

"It's being offered up to us on a silver platter. You better not deny it." Elizabeth warned, eyes narrowed.

Smiling softly, Cynthia walked forward and placed her hands on Diantha's arms, "You're the best.." She hummed, leaning in to give Diantha a kiss.

Diantha grinned into the kiss, laughing softly, "You can find it near Jaune Plaza. It's literally called Boutique Noire. You can't miss it."

Elizabeth nearly gagged at seeing the romance play out in front of her, but she was still relieved at the fact that they could go someplace else, "...Gross."

Cynthia paid her sister absolutely no heed, "Have fun with Gardenia. You should really start making sure she's checking the price tags on the clothes she picks out, by the way."

"Yeah. She might end up pushing the bill on one of us since all three of us got some bank." Elizabeth added.

"And if we leave… You're the only option Gardenia has left." Cynthia explained with a twinge of guilt.

Diantha's eyes widened for a moment but she did her best to school her features, "Ahh.. Don't worry. I'll handle it somehow. Now go out and buy something new to wear! I'll rip that black jacket right off of you if you don't!"

A devious look flashed in Cynthia's eye, "I fail to see how that's punishment…"

That time Elizabeth did gag, and she looked away from the two lovebirds and walked off, "...Ugh, save the banter for someplace private."

Diantha averted her gaze with a shy grin, and Cynthia just glared at Elizabeth. "Oh, grow up." Cynthia countered, "I doubt you'd be any better with a serious relationship."

"But I'm a Plusle without its Minun. You won't be seeing any of that sweet stuff from me." Elizabeth sneered with a wave of her hand. She didn't even dignify Cynthia by turning around to look at her as she walked away.

Cynthia sent an apologetic look Diantha's way as she followed after Elizabeth and went outside. Diantha spun around on her heel, letting out a heavy exhale. She soon plastered on a smile and went searching for Gardenia.

"Oh, Gardenia, darling?" Diantha began a bit uneasily, "Let's play a fun game, yeah? Whoever buys the least amount of things wins!" She laughed emptily to herself. Money wasn't a problem to her at all, but she didn't want Gardenia to get too wild about her purchases if Diantha truly was going to wind up paying…

Meanwhile, Cynthia caught up with Elizabeth outside, and while anger was not outwardly present on her expression, there was a hint of annoyance to Cynthia's demeanor, "You're being moodier than normal."

Elizabeth was squinting from the bright sun but she looked over her shoulder at Cynthia with a fake grin, "You know green is not my best color." She said. That was probably the closest she was going to get to saying that she was jealous because she'd never say the word herself.

Cynthia let out a sharp exhale at that, getting the implications of what Elizabeth was trying to convey. She decided to change the subject, and she looked around a bit, "We should probably start looking for this Jaune Plaza. I remember that all the plazas are based off a color, so we just need to find that colored plaza."

"Right." Elizabeth nodded. Together she and Cynthia walked across the street towards the one plaza, and once they got there, they stood at the base of the blue monument in silence for a few seconds before Elizabeth was the one to speak up again. "I think we have a problem."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, "Yeah? What is it?"

Elizabeth flashed an uneasy grin, "Mademoiselle Superstar never told us what the hell color 'jaune' is supposed to be."

* * *

"Gardenia, darling, don't you think we've stalled enough?" Diantha laughed beneath her breath at the sight of Gardenia petting one of the local Gogoats.

"Huh?" Gardenia looked away from the Gogoat and smiled once Diantha's words caught up to her, "Oh, right! My bad! These guys are just so cute though!"

Diantha closed her eyes with a smile, "I promise you that there'll be plenty of time to pet the Gogoats later. Cynthia and her sister are already at the lab, so we shouldn't keep them waiting."

Gardenia snickered to herself as she straightened herself out and fixed her top, "It'd give those two a taste of their own medicine if we wait! I can't tell you how many times Liz has shown up late with a cappuccino in her hands whenever we have plans!"

"That… sounds awfully like her." Diantha agreed, tapping her chin, "Ah, but that's besides the point. The trick is to never knock yourself down to their level out of pettiness. You just have to show them how much better you are by being the reasonable one. You catch my drift, right?"

Nodding along, Gardenia snapped her fingers with a devious look, "Not bad… Did you pick that up 'cause of your line of work?"

"It's the only way to keep yourself sane in what I do, darling." Diantha eventually walked over and grabbed Gardenia's arm, seeing as that was one of the only ways she was going to get Gardenia to actually move, "Now let's go. I think that Gogoat is eyeing your hair for its lunch…" She teased, gesturing to the Gogoat with a tilt of her head.

Gardenia instinctively placed a hand over her head to cover her hair, and she finally walked along with Diantha after that, "Not the hair…! It's my best quality…"

Diantha laughed softly, leading Gardenia the rest of the way to Professor Sycamore's lab. She let herself inside and waited for Gardenia to join her side, and from there she could see both Augustine and Cynthia in a conversation right there in the lobby. Augustine glanced over at the doors when he heard them open, and he sported a playful grin when he spotted Diantha.

"Chère Diantha! You've arrived!" Augustine greeted, waving for Diantha to join him and Cynthia, "And you've brought a friend! I do not believe we've yet met, mademoiselle." He reached out in a request for Gardenia's hand as he bowed respectfully, "I am Augustine Sycamore, but many just know me as the Professor. May you enlighten me as to your name?" He looked up to Gardenia with a sparkle in his eyes.

"I'm Gardenia!" She said, giving Augustine her hand. When Augustine kissed the back of her hand, Gardenia just giggled, placing her free hand on her cheek before fanning herself, "Is this how all the boys act in Kalos? Oh, a girl can get used to this…"

"Let's not get boy-crazy so soon, Gardenia." Cynthia teased, crossing her arms, "He does this with every woman that breathes. Just ten minutes ago he kissed my hand too, but I don't believe that was the place he originally intended going for since I shoved his face away from mine." She glanced at her hand with a scorn, "His saliva's still all over my palm… Elizabeth was smart. She fled upstairs to talk with the scientists to avoid this guy."

Augustine placed the back of his hand to his forehead and sighed, "Ah, you wound me, Cynthia…"

Diantha just laughed at the scene playing out in front of her, and she held out her arms for a hug, "I may just be the only woman in the city that won't run at the sight of you, dear Augustine."

"And that is why we're such great friends!" Augustine regained his cool within a second's notice and he returned Diantha's hug. He pulled away shortly afterwards and pointed back at Cynthia with his thumb, "Cynthia was just telling me how she tried Mega Evolution for the first time with her Garchomp! Is that true, Diantha?"

Nodding, Diantha grinned widely, "Mhm! I saw it all myself. It all went off without a hitch too, even though it was her first time."

"Which is incredibly impressive, might I say…" Augustine turned to Cynthia, "Normally there are always complications the first time a Pokémon Mega Evolves. It is quite the risky procedure, after all."

"Well, it was sort of a life or death situation so…" Cynthia just shrugged, barely any fluctuation to her tone, "We improvised."

Augustine nodded along, his hand at his chin, "I see, I see… With this unusual case of yours, I'm sure you can come to master the transformation with relative ease, contrary to most others' experiences with it."

Cynthia flashed an apologetic smile for a second, letting out a sigh before speaking, "About that… Garchomp was not a fan of that whole experience, y'know. I don't think we'll be trying that again. Besides, wouldn't you say that making Garchomp even more powerful than she already is is a bit overkill?" She tried to jest.

Diantha's expression fell at that, "How unfortunate… Would you be open to trying Mega Evolution with a Pokémon other than Garchomp?"

"I mean… As long as they don't hate it as much as Garchomp did. She was pretty angry after that whole ordeal… That was not fun to deal with afterwards." Cynthia shook her head at the memory.

"If you ask me, this 'Mega Evolution' thing just feels like cheating." Gardenia commented, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, "I was convinced that Diantha was cheating when she pulled that stunt on Cynthia in that fight. It just seems unfair."

"But no one asked you though…?" Cynthia narrowed her eyes, confused.

Gardenia shot Cynthia a look out of the corner of her eye, but otherwise remained silent.

Augustine stepped up to break the silence, "Well, if you're interested in practicing Mega Evolution, you can either practice with me or with the region's expert and successor!"

Cynthia tilted her head with a playful grin, "I think I'll go with the expert, thanks."

"You wound me yet again!"

"You know…" Gardenia cut in again, staring angrily at Cynthia. She was still hung up about Cynthia's remarks from earlier, apparently, "You'd think you'd cut me some slack seeing as we're on vacation together, but you're still being mean!"

"Honestly?" Cynthia laughed, "You make it too easy. I can't help myself half the time."

Gardenia huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "It's still rude!"

"Come on, it's just fun! You get it the least out of this family. Elizabeth gets it far worse than you do from both me _and_ you, so I don't see why you're complaining."

"You both pick on me for being the youngest!"

"And if we pick up another stray off the street, you can do the same to them!"

"Are you calling me a stray?!"

Elizabeth chose this exact moment to return to the lobby, and she stared at Gardenia and Cynthia with an annoyed look, "Hey, what's with all the noise?!"

Seeing as Gardenia and Cynthia were getting into some silly argument that Elizabeth was inevitably about to join, Augustine turned his attention to Diantha, losing his playful front and instead furrowing his eyebrows; his expression was only serious. "Diantha… I'm afraid there's some news I must share with you. If I could have a moment aside…" His voice was lowered seeing as there were still others around, and when he mentioned a moment of privacy, his gaze wandered over to the three girls bickering beside him.

Diantha looked confused by Augustine's sudden change in demeanor and frankly a bit concerned, so he did as he requested and followed him to a more secluded area on the first floor. When they were alone, Diantha crossed her arms, eager to figure out what was making Augustine act so strangely, "The news, as you've said…?"

Augustine nodded, clenching his jaw tightly. He seemed hesitant to continue, but it was something that had to be shared, "It's regarding the League…" He began, careful to word things carefully for Diantha, "There have been talks from some of the officials for quite some time now about the region's growing disinterest in battling. They do not believe there's a substantial reason for us to remain as a member of the International Pokémon League given our own League's condition. There have been no official steps taken yet, but a vote will be held soon regarding whether or not Kalos will disband its competitive League."

"What?!" Diantha shouted in a rather uncharacteristic outburst, though she wasn't making any effort to compose herself, "Kalos withdrawing from the International League?! The idea is preposterous! Do they forget how hard they've fought to become part of it in the first place?! They're willing to throw all that away?!"

"It seems so… But as I've said, no official steps have been taken towards this. There may not be a lot of opposition to this idea from what I've gathered, but the vote won't be for a while. There's still a chance to change this." Augustine tried to amend his statements, trying to be positive.

"They're not disbanding the League. Not if I have anything to say about it." Diantha shook her head with a sharp inhale, "When were they planning on telling me about this? You'd think that the Champion would have a right to know the second these talks began!"

Augustine glanced away in a moment's display of guilt, "Diantha… I say this with no ill intent, but surely you haven't forgotten… You have been gone for over a month for a film. Even when you were here before, you had very little time for challenges, if there were even challengers in the first place. I'm not saying they're right in thinking this, but chances are that they don't see you as an invested enough leader to care, or to even be respected."

Diantha's eyes flashed with anger, but she finally got the will to compose herself. It would be unfair to take her anger out on Augustine as he was only the messenger. Instead, another idea surfaced in her mind, "...Fine. I'll head over to the League right this instant. We'll see who's not invested enough to care…!"

"I know you, Diantha. I know how this region admires you. It's not impossible for you to turn things around for this region, but you have to be committed to it. You can't try and balance everything anymore. For this to work, you have to choose what you'll commit wholeheartedly to and stick to it. No more double lives, at least until things are cemented. I hope you understand that much." Augustine pointed out.

"I do." Diantha balled her hands into fists, "I already made the decision before coming over here that I'd focus more on restoring the League to its former glory. Now I'm only more sure of what I have to do. I may have been foolish in the past, thinking I could balance life as a Champion and life as a star, but I know better now. I'm the Champion of this region, and I'm not letting the League fall because of my former incompetence. I'm not going down without a fight."

Augustine couldn't help but smile because of Diantha's words, and he was impressed by her resolve, "There's the battling prodigy from so long ago… I wondered when I'd next see her again."

Diantha laughed under her breath, quirking a brow, "I hope you like her. She's not going away."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. This is my region too, and while I may only be a professor, even I know that a region without a League is bad for business. I mean, what else will get the kids interested in journeying if there's no gyms to conquer! Kids aren't that motivated!" Augustine joked, laughing at his own quips.

"Like I've said, I'm going to the League. I'll see if a chat's enough to intimidate them into backing off." Diantha began, though she spared Augustine one last look before she walked away, "Thank you for warning me, Augustine. And for offering your help. I won't be able to do this alone. I'll be needing you in the future."

Augustine nodded, a smile still on his face, "Just let me know, Diantha. Good luck."

Diantha shot him a smile back before stepping back towards the main area of the lobby. She wanted to tell Cynthia that she had to step out for a little while, and she managed to catch the tail end of Cynthia's argument with Elizabeth and Gardenia as she was doing so.

"Okay!" Cynthia began, stepping between Elizabeth and Gardenia and placing her hands on their shoulders to keep them from pouncing on each other, "Gardenia, if you really are bothered by all my teasing, then I'll lay off. As for you, Elizabeth… Nah, I'm still going to mess with you. You're not getting off the hook that easy."

Gardenia jumped for joy, but Elizabeth looked about ready to tear Cynthia's head off. Luckily, before Elizabeth had the chance, Diantha jumped in to pull Cynthia aside, ending that argument as swiftly as it began.

"Hey…" Diantha started with an uneasy air, trying to find the words, "Something came up that I have to handle. I need to head to the League immediately."

"No, I get it." Cynthia rested a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow, "Is everything alright?"

"Ahh… I'll get back to you on that…" Diantha shifted her gaze off to the side.

Cynthia looked concern, and she leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice, "Do you need me to come with you? I don't mind. I'd love to see what the Kalos League looks like, actually."

Diantha let out a long exhale, pondering it over in her head. Maybe having someone with Cynthia's experience in running a good League would help her out, so she might as well.. "If you want, then you can come with. I'm going to try and handle it on my own first, but I might need your help."

"Of course." Cynthia glanced over to Elizabeth and Gardenia, "Should we tell Dumb and Dumber? Oh, wait- I mean, Average and Dumber?"

Diantha scratched her cheek, "If you could, that'd be great. Augustine could probably show them around in my place."

Nodding, Cynthia stepped away to break the news to Elizabeth and Gardenia while Diantha gradually made her way to the doors. When she got close, she turned back to wait for Cynthia, but before she and Cynthia could think about leaving, the doors bursted open suddenly and someone came strolling through. The woman responsible strolled inside, dressed very much like someone on vacation what with her summery clothes and hat, and she adjusted her large sunglasses with a wide smile. She had brown skin and purple hair, and as Cynthia soon came to notice, a very pronounced accent.

The woman threw her arms out to her sides, soaking up the moment where all eyes were on her before declaring, "Nous sommes revenus!"


	2. A Blazing Fire

"Ah, c'est réconfortant d'être ici encore… Je le manque vraiment." The woman said, running a hand through her purple hair. She seemed to have finally acknowledge the people around her after her entrance, and the second she saw Diantha, she absolutely lit up. She even had to take off her sunglasses to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, "Ma parole! Même cher Diantha est ici aussi! Viens, viens! Je te manquais aussi!" _Ah, it's so good to be home… I really missed this place. My word, even Diantha's here! Get over here! I missed you too!_

"Sina!" Diantha beamed back at her, and she ran over to Sina to give her a hug, "Ça fait presque deux mois depuis je t'ai vu! Tu étais en Alola, ouais?" _It's been nearly two months since I've last seen you! You were in Alola, right?_

"Mais oui!" Sina giggled, hugging Diantha back and squeezing her tight, "C'est si si beau là-bas! Tu ne peux pas le croire!" _Oh yeah! It's so so beautiful there! You would not believe it!_

"What's happening…" Gardenia whispered to Cynthia.

Cynthia just shook her head, nearly having an out of body experience, "The inevitable return of le français…"

For once, Elizabeth didn't open her mouth. Her eyes were trained on that Sina girl, and she wound up clenching her jaw the more she stared.

"Dexio… Où est-il?" Diantha asked once she pulled away from the hug. She glanced behind Sina, looking for her inseparable other half. _Where's Dexio?_

Sina broke out into a fit of laughter, dismissing Diantha's words with a wave of her hand, "Oh, lui? Je l'ai forcé à porter les valises!" _Oh, him? I made him carry all the luggage!_

Diantha shook her head fondly. She should've expected Sina to shove all the work off on him, after all. "Le pauvre garçon…" _Poor kid..._

Sina looked out further and noticed all the unfamiliar faces, and she furrowed her eyebrows at the sight. She turned back towards Diantha and pointed towards the three other girls with her thumb, confused, "Qui sont-elles?" _Who are they?_

Diantha suddenly remembered how Cynthia and the rest were with her, and she also remembered how much Cynthia hated when people spoke in languages she didn't understand right in front of her, "Ah… Elles sont sinnohaines. Tu voudrais parler en anglais pour elles." _Ahh… They're Sinnohan. You might want to speak English for them._

"Really? How cool!" Sina switched over to English without a second's break, but her accent was noticeably more affected than Diantha's, "Sorry! I had no idea. I'm Sina, by the way! Nice to meet you all!"

Cynthia looked very relieved to finally be able to understand Sina, and her soul returned to her body then, "Nice to meet you too then, Sina. I'm Cynthia, and this is Gardenia." She pointed to Gardenia, who waved and smiled, "And…" She glanced over to Elizabeth, who was entirely frozen. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, "...I don't know her."

Gardenia nudged Elizabeth's arm to get her to snap out of it, and she turned towards Sina to try and distract from Elizabeth's strange behavior, "Actually, this is Elizabeth, Cynthia's sister! I'm fairly certain they hate each other. None of us really get along, now that I think about it!"

Sina looked confused by Gardenia's strange words, and she also seemed concerned by Elizabeth as well, "Ah… me and Dexio are similar to that too! We always fight. As for her, do you think she has… has… oh, shoot!" She stomped her foot, turning to Diantha, "Dépaysement!"

"Culture shock…?" Diantha tilted her head, wondering if that was what Sina was looking for.

"Yeah, culture shock! Do you think she has culture shock?" Sina asked. She waved her hand in front of Elizabeth's face to see if that snapped her out of it at all.

Elizabeth shook her head, blinking a few times and finally returning to reality, "I think I died for a few seconds. What did I miss?"

Diantha bit down on her lip in her best attempt to suppress the smile that was threatening to rise, "This is Sina! She's one of Augustine's prized assistants! She just returned from a trip to Alola."

Sina waved, sporting a wide smile now that she knew Elizabeth wasn't a dead man standing, "Hi!"

Reality continued to catch up with Elizabeth more and more and she tapped her temple, "Right, right… I got lost in all the French there. I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me… uh, anything you want…!"

"Elizabeth, huh?" Sina tried the name out on her tongue, "Ah, sorry again for the French bit. I've been in Alola for the longest time… I missed speaking my native language."

Cynthia pushed Elizabeth's strange behavior to the back of her mind by that point, and instead she tilted her head at Sina, "Understandable.. Though, I'm impressed by how you managed to switch from one language to the other on a dime like that."

"Well…" Sina tapped her chin, swaying around a bit, "I'm just… used to it, I guess? With this region, you never know who speaks what. Being a part of the International League and all, Kalos had to learn the universal language to participate. So a lot of us speak both languages, but there are people out there who only speak one, whether it be our language or the universal one. I learned both growing up, but I like French better. Sounds better to my ears!"

"Speaking about the League…" Diantha trailed off, "Cynthia? We should go. I don't want to put this off for too long." Her attention returned to Sina again, "It was so nice to see you again, Sina! Tell Dexio I said hi!"

"I will!" Sina paused for a second, "Wait, are you leaving?"

Diantha nodded apologetically, "Unfortunately. I promise we can catch up more later, though! We were just leaving before you came in. We really have to be off now!"

Sina scratched her cheek with a nervous grin, "Ahh… Sorry for holding you up, then. I'll catch you later!"

As she was going to leave with Cynthia, Diantha suddenly turned back around again towards Sina, "Actually, could you do me a huge favor? I was supposed to be showing everyone around the city before this thing came up, so could you show Elizabeth and Gardenia around for me instead?"

"Sure! I'd love to! Just leave it to me!" Sina beamed.

"Thank you! I'll make it up to you somehow!" Diantha let out a relieved sigh, walking out of the lab alongside Cynthia. They both nearly ran into someone carrying a huge stack of suitcases, and Diantha just stumbled out of the way to let him pass, "Oh, sorry, Dexio."

Dexio simply trudged along inside, not wanting to stop because he feared he could not start back up again, "Mon dieu…'

Sina quirked up upon spotting Dexio, and she hooked her arms around Gardenia and Elizabeth both, with one on each side of her, "Sweet! The gang's all here! So, who's ready to go see all that Lumiose City has to offer?!"

"I am!" Gardenia waved her arm, laughing from excitement.

Elizabeth was frozen again in Sina's grasp, and she wound up just making some unintelligible grumbles.

Dexio, however, just dropped all the suitcases on the floor and threw his head back in exasperation, "I don't want to walk anymore!"

Sina just laughed loudly, "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"

Cynthia turned to Diantha once they were in the clear outside, and she moved to drape her arm off Diantha's shoulder, "So… What's the whole issue at the League, if you're at liberty to say?"

Diantha leaned into Cynthia's side, letting out a stressed sigh, "Remember how I said I wanted to reform the League since Kalos has, in general, lost their interest in battling? It so turns out that the League officials have noticed this problem as well, and instead of rallying interest, they want to disband the Kalos League entirely…"

"What?" Cynthia's eyes went wide, "When were they thinking about telling you?"

"Oh, and apparently they don't have an ounce of respect for me, since they don't think I care about my position." Diantha huffed, crossing her arms, "Of course, I'm going over there to yell at them. This will not stand."

Cynthia deflated a bit, shifting her gaze away to stare out at the city. The more she thought it over though, the more her gaze hardened and her posture stiffened, "It's just ridiculous to think that they would jump to such a drastic decision so quickly… They'll solve absolutely nothing by running away from the problem! It's utterly idiotic, what they're planning!"

There was something in the way that Cynthia said that, the absolute bitterness in her tone, that made Diantha turn towards Cynthia with a concerned look. Suddenly Diantha found herself wondering if she was talking about the League there or something else, "Cynthia… are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Suddenly her own words caught up to her, and Cynthia just frowned, "Yeah, it's just… I speak from experience. It's not important right now. What's important is that we get this issue with the League sorted out, you know."

Diantha just nodded, tongue prodding at the inside of her cheek as she decided not to press the issue further. To lighten the atmosphere a bit, she flashed a smile and pressed herself up against Cynthia's side more, "We should hurry. I don't think the region knows I'm back yet so the paparazzi hasn't been a thorn in my side since I arrived. I don't want to jeopardize that by getting caught. The press would have a field day if they saw us together."

Cynthia let herself smile at that, even if it was a fleeting gesture, "Hah… You don't have to tell me twice…"

* * *

"I see the Renaissance motif hasn't been lost on your League building either…" Cynthia commented once they arrived at Kalos's Pokémon League. The circular architecture on the castle was similar to the one back in Sinnoh, even if the Kalos one managed to look even more extravagant and elegant. The Kalos one had a darker theme to it as well.

Diantha shook her head, "Just wait until you see the inside…"

Cynthia just shrugged, walking inside alongside Diantha. The lobby looked fairly empty aside from one person who was lounging on one of the chairs and glancing over their nails. Even though they were in a rather vulnerable position, sprawled out along the chaise, there was a challenging aura to them, like they were daring anyone to come at them. That sort of confidence and danger did not slip past Cynthia.

The person tore their attention away from their nails when they heard the doors open, and a sly look crossed their face as they stood up and approached Diantha. "Has the superstar finally returned? Oh, and she's brought a friend too.."

"Malva. I didn't expect you to be here. It's good to see you again." Diantha did her best to smile, but there was a part of her that could never be comfortable around Malva. There was something unsettling about Malva's presence that Diantha could never quite understand, and while every interaction with Malva made her skin crawl, Diantha always tried to be polite even if it were a futile gesture.

"I didn't expect you to be here either. Ah, but I suppose you've heard the news, haven't you? Has the prodigy come to stop the disbandment?" As she spoke, Malva flicked the glasses further down her nose to glance over top of them at Diantha. There was a smugness found in both her smile and her studious gaze on Diantha, and there was a patronizing hint to her tone too.

Diantha lowered her chin, clenching her jaw due to the pressure underneath Malva's gaze, "You know I won't let this stand."

Malva perked up a bit, "I do. And I don't blame you. For once we're in the same boat here. I do happen to like my throne here, you know…"

"Of course…" Diantha forced another grin, letting out a shaky laugh, "Are you just going to stand around and watch as they take away your throne?"

Shrugging, Malva let out a wistful sigh, "I don't know what all I can do. Those officials do seem fairly convinced of their ways, you know. But I will be fighting it. I mean, if I can't rule here, what else is there for me to take over? The world?" She burst out into a fit of laughter at that, and even though it was a joke, Diantha almost believed that Malva would try. Malva noticed Diantha's unease in that moment, and she wound up shaking her head and dropping the dramatic act, "Oh, relax. I'm only kidding. But whatever, we've dawdled enough, haven't we? Come on. You dropped in at the right time. The officials are actually in a meeting right now. The rest of the Elite Four are in there as well, but I stormed out because everyone was infuriating me. Now that you're here though, things have just started to get interesting.. I want to watch this…"

"They're meeting right now? I suppose that is good timing.." Diantha glanced off to the side, a few ideas forming in her mind about what to do.

"Don't worry about barging in. I'll make the scene and you can just follow me. You can even bring your friend too. She sure looks scary… I think she's dreaming of just ripping me apart right now… I like her." Malva gestured to Cynthia, a smug look on her face. Malva was one of the few people around that rivaled Cynthia's height, so Malva was already shaping herself up to be a problem.

Cynthia only kept her glare steeled on Malva, not faltering beneath Malva's remarks and gaze, "Let's go. There are a few words I'd like to share with these guys as well."

"Oh, and she's got the words to back up that bite… I really like this one." Malva pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose, the pink lenses giving off a brief sheen as she did so. She spun around on her heel, motioning for Diantha and Cynthia to follow her with a beckoning of her fingers, "Come now, bellas. Just follow my lead." With that, she made her way to the doors to the conference room, and without a second's hesitation, she plunged her heel right into the center of the dual doors to cause them to fly open, thereby putting a stop to any talks going on inside.

"Malva!" Wikstrom shouted, slamming his hands down on the table in front of him; the League Council and the Elite Four were gathered around a circular table with a gap in the center where a database hologram was located. Even from behind the hologram, Wikstrom's anger could be clearly seen, "This is beyond inappropriate behavior for a meeting of this sort! You dare call yourself a member of the Elite Four with this incapacity for civility!"

Cynthia looked ready to step inside, wanting a better view of these talks, but Diantha's arm out in front of her stopped her from stepping forward. It was probably the best that they didn't get involved right away in this chaotic situation.

"Wikstrom has a point, Malva." The President of the Council, Shido, joined in, "These are formal hearings. Any further disruptions like this will result in your immediate and _permanent_ removal."

"Try me." Malva crossed her arms and flashed a sly grin, entirely unfazed by the threats against her, "You should be thanking me. I just brought along someone whose absence has made everything discussed up to this point utterly null and pointless. Isn't it a violation to order these proceedings without the Champion herself? It'd be one thing if she could not make it, but opting to ignore her outright… Oh, I know there's an article somewhere that burns you all for this insubordination."

Diantha stepped forward at that point, joining Malva's side. She did her best to steel herself and to remain professional, "There definitely is a rule that forbids just that, but I'm willing to look past this if you bring me up to speed right this instant."

Cynthia stayed back near the door, crossing her arms and leaning against a wall. Her eyes were trained on the people in front of her; she might not have been involved outright, but she was going to wait and listen for her chance.

Despite being caught red-handed for his violations, Shido proceeded as if nothing was amiss and instead motioned towards the empty seats, "Please join us. Would the Sinnoh Champion like to be seated as well?"

Diantha moved to the Champion's seat at the head of the table, directly opposite from Shido. Malva sat beside her in her designated red seat and immediately set her legs up on top of the table and crossing them. She couldn't help but snicker to herself, "Oh, so your backup's the Sinnoh Champion? I should've brought popcorn. This is going to be fun…"

Cynthia let out a passive sigh, running a hand through her hair, "Pass…"

"As you wish." Shido nodded, folding his hands in front of him upon the table, "Then we may proceed. Champion Diantha, what we have been discussing up to this point has been on the subject of Kalos's decreased support for competitive battling. Recent polls and figures suggest that only 30% of the region are interested in participating in competitive battling in their future."

"Do you have sources on that?" Malva interjected, a smug look on her face.

"They were conducted by the League themselves." Shido explained.

Malva tilted her head, tapping her heel on the table, "Do you have the official detailed results on you? Did you detail the procedures taken to conduct these surveys? Were they random samples? Were there any biases involved? Or could it have just been the old fashioned sampling error that gave you your results?"

Shido narrowed his eyes, "I fail to see how nitpicking my figures is of any help to you."

"Finding fault in your strongest pieces of evidence is absolutely paramount to my side, I'll have you know. As a reporter, I'm also on the lookout for these fake reports as well. Statistics can be the most flimsiest pieces of evidence, you know…" Malva snickered as her glasses reflected a devious sheen in the light.

"I don't even see the problem behind those figures. Sinnoh's competitive interest has consistently been at around 50% lately." Cynthia joined in, "It's simply unrealistic to expect 100% of the region to be interested. People have jobs and lives that exist outside of Pokémon, y'know."

"No two regions are the same, Sinnoh Champion." Shido warned, "You should know that."

"That's quite enough." Diantha asserted, leaning back in her chair, "President Shido, continue. I want no further interruptions until his argument is complete. That's final." Her gaze drifted over to Malva, who the order was mostly aimed at.

Malva just grinned to herself, unbothered by the setback there. Cynthia didn't care much either.

Shido nodded, flattening out his tie, "Thank you, Champion Diantha. In our investigations, the results we've yielded have pointed to one general theme, which is that Kalos simply does not consider itself a competitive region anymore. There is no point in being a member of the International League if there is no interest to be a part of it. Therefore, my councilmen and I are attempting to put through motions to dissolve the Kalos League and to withdraw from the International League. It would be a waste of money and of time to participate with such low turnout. I'm finished now, if you are curious, Malva. I'm sure you have something to say."

"I always have something to say…" Malva hinted with a singsong voice, "It just boils down to whether or not I have the willpower to still my tongue."

Diantha closed her eyes and rested her arms on the table in front of her, "It doesn't matter what sharp wit Malva wishes to bring up at this time. We can save that drivel for later. I still have my own views I'd like to share, if there are no objections…" Seeing as no one spoke up to object, Diantha continued, "It is _far_ too premature of a move to withdraw from the League at the first instant of a drop in interest. Have you all forgotten how hard it was to get inducted in the first place?! Withdrawing immediately without even an attempt at rallying support is a terrible decision.. Surely this all has crossed your mind at least once in these talks!"

Shido merely shook his head, "We do not believe that an effort to rally support for the League will be successful. We'd rather focus our assets elsewhere."

Diantha balled her fists on the table, finding it very difficult to contain herself in that moment, "What is Kalos without its League? Part of the reason for Kalos unification in the first place was to become a member of the International League! You'd be throwing away such a pivotal point of Kalos's history if you withdraw!"

"Not to mention, most of our economy does stem from League-related endeavors. The Pokéball Factory, Pokémon Centers, Pokémarts… All of them are valuable contributors to the economy." Malva joined in, and she wound up smirking beneath the hand resting at her chin, "I have the irrefutable reports to back this up, so maybe you can learn what real statistics are in looking at them."

"Enough!" Shido slammed his hands on the table, "With the recent success of Lysandre Labs, we have very little reason to suspect that the economy will be that effected by pulling from the International League! Besides, we are not planning to ban Pokémon! Pokéballs will still be in demand to capture Pokémon partners."

Malva's teasing nature vanished in that moment, and she narrowed her eyes at Shido, "So, you're willing to give Lysandre a complete monopoly over the economy? Oh-ho… I think you just dug your own grave, Shido..."

"Fitting for a coward, after all." Cynthia sneered, finally peeling herself off from that wall and stepping forward. She dropped her arms to her sides, fists clenched tightly by her hips, "You can't solve _any_ problem by running from it, let alone solve a regionwide issue with such cowardice! The fact you don't even want to attempt to fix this issue is despicable! You're pulling out before you can get associated with the problem so you can protect your own image! You really are a coward!"

"This is hardly the place for you to speak, Sinnoh Champion!" Shido shouted, "You know nothing of the situation at hand!"

"What I _do_ know is that no problem can be solved by running from it, no matter how hard you try! Only cowards have the gall to think that running away is a solution!" Cynthia countered, slamming her hands down on the table as well.

"I may not agree with how she's saying it, but Cynthia has a point, President Shido! There should at least be an attempt made to resolve this issue! It's far too early to disband the League!" Diantha pleaded.

Shido calmed himself in that moment, directing his attention at Diantha, "I am surprised to hear your resolve, Champion Diantha. I would not have expected you to care much about losing your position. You are barely committed to it, after all. I would have thought you'd jump at the chance to involve yourself with the film industry more."

Diantha furrowed her eyebrows, clenching her jaw at that, "I'm a Trainer above an actress, and I'm offended that you think I'm so passive when it comes to _my_ League! I've valued the work I've done as a Champion above all else! I'm not letting you destroy my League without a fight! If you won't try to reinspire Kalos, then I will!"

"Okay, now that's truly enough." Malva stated with a dismissive wave. She finally lowered her legs from the table. "I'm putting forth a motion here. I want all Council activity set on hiatus for six months so our dearest Champion here can rally up the people. After that six month period, we can reconvene and, depending on the results, decide whether or not to stay within the International League."

"That's a preposterous request and you know it." Shido growled, eyes narrowed.

Malva grinned at that, standing from her chair and tilting her head playfully, "Is it? I'm doing you a favor here, Shido. I'm giving you what you want: a way out. I'm relinquishing all responsibility of this matter onto the Champion. If she fails, then that's _her_ fault. She's your scapegoat, Shido. This failure won't be held against you if you take my offer. If you've proved anything here, and as the Sinnoh Champion has so impressively declared, it's that you are a coward. I'm letting you run around and be the coward that you are without the public knowing the truth. You'd be wise to take my offer."

"I do not appreciate your tone, Malva. Shall I get security in here to escort you off the premises for the final time in your lifetime?" Shido threatened.

Malva slammed her heel on top of the low table and pointed at Shido, a fire burning in her eyes, "You know that you can't say no, Shido! You can't get rid of me that easily! If you decline this offer, I guarantee you that I will reduce your lavish lifestyle into ash! You've given me reason to believe that you're wrapped around Lysandre's finger here, and that you're part of a plot to give him a monopoly over the entire region's economy! I will take this right to the press if you move to disband the League this instant! Let's not forget that other conversation we've had recently together… All of that information… Every single detail… I will report it. Don't think I won't. I'd just love to see you crash and burn!"

"Are you threatening me, Malva?!" Shido said in a low, intimidating draw.

"Absolutely... _sir._ " Malva growled, "Now choose wisely. I can't tell you how fired up I'm getting at the opportunity to destroy someone today."

Shido let out a large exhale, pondering it over. It was a relatively quick decision to make, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice, "Champion Diantha will be given two months time to bring the region's interest in the League up to a 60% rating. We will reconvene in two months to give our final ruling on the matter. We're finished here. You're all dismissed. Get out of my sight!"

A pleased grin crossed Malva's lips, and she placed her hands on her waist. Diantha let out a relieved sigh at the opportunity to turn the League's shape around.

"Well, two months wasn't the number I was gunning for, but it's still time." Malva sighed, shrugging laxly, "You better act fast, Diantha. You got a lot of work to do." She said in goodbye, waving as she walked off.

Diantha just nodded to that, unable to say anything else. The motion that Malva brought up and the matter of which she got it passed left a bitter taste in Diantha's mouth. She didn't like operating off of a success brought on by blackmail, and she certainly was not enjoying being the region's scapegoat here.

Cynthia joined Diantha's side at that moment, still visibly riled up at the discussions that were held, "...Can we get out of here? _Now?_ "

Diantha's expression turned sympathetic at that. She wasn't sure what was bringing on this side in Cynthia, but she didn't want to make Cynthia feel any worse. Diantha was itching to leave as well, "...Yeah. Let's go." She rose from her seat, moving besides Cynthia and walking outside with her.

"Can we go back to the hotel?" Cynthia asked, "I don't have the energy or the patience to do much else. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I feel the same way…" Diantha sighed, "And I am not looking forward to all the work that awaits me now…"

Cynthia did her best to flash a smile, but it only lasted for a fraction of a second, "You won't have to do it alone. I promise you that."

"Thank you, Cynthia." Diantha let herself smile at that, "I could really, really use all the help I can get right about now…"


	3. Revelations

"Ah, Dexio, take these from me. I missed our dim sun here. I can just soak it all up!" Sina said, taking off her sunglasses and passing them over.

Dexio let out a sigh; he might not have fully understood what Sina said, but he figured he was being the pack mule. Before he could grab the sunglasses though, Elizabeth suddenly snatched them.

"Do you mind if I use these?" Elizabeth asked, "It may be dim for you, but it's pretty bright for someone like me. I forgot my pair back at the hotel, sadly."

"Huh? Oh, go ahead! They're pretty nice. They're Alolan, so it's the real deal." Sina giggled with a wide grin.

"Alola, huh?" Gardenia tilted her head, "What's it like over there?"

Sina swayed back and forth at the pleasant memory, closing her eyes and reliving it in her mind, "It's soooo pretty there! It's so sunny, everyone is so nice, and the sights are gorgeous! I spent so much time at the beach. It was great! N'est pas, Dexio?" Sina grabbed onto Dexio's arm, leaning into his side. When he just nodded, Sina looked at Elizabeth and Gardenia, "Sorry, his English is a lot more limited than mine. He's not too talkative to begin with, either. But I promise he's sweet!"

"Aww.. That's too bad! I'd like to talk to him more. But I think I'm picking up some French!" Gardenia stepped in front of the pack as they walked along and turned around, walking backwards and facing Dexio, "Uhh… Salut! Comment ça va?" She beamed, waving with a huge grin on her face.

Dexio smiled at her attempt, appreciating that she was trying, "Heh… I'm fine, thanks. Is… Is this your first time in Kalos?" He replied. His voice was hesitant and slowly-paced since he wasn't confident in his English, "Your French sounds good."

Gardenia nodded, "Yeah, it's my first time here! It's my first time outside of Sinnoh, actually! And thank you!" She grinned bashfully, "Your English is just as good!"

"We'll just have to get Dexio out of his shell." Sina smiled, "We've worked together for a while. He was always the shy one, and I was always the excited one. He's gotten a bit more outspoken since we were kids, but… when it comes to his English, it's like he's still that shy little kid from so long ago. It's cute though."

"Are you two, like… y'know?" Gardenia pointed back and forth between the two of them, a curious look on her face.

Sina tilted her head, not understanding what Gardenia meant by that, but suddenly it registered for her, "No, we're not. We're partners in every other meaning of the word except for that one. But he is like my other half. Just not in… that way. Ah. I don't know if I'm making sense…"

"No, I getcha!" Gardenia nodded, "We have a couple of friends that are like that too! You know which three I'm talking about, right Liz?"

Elizabeth tilted her head, thinking it over in her head, "I don't know if I'm allowed to call them friends anymore... They work for me now, after all. Don't I need to keep that boss/employee line between us now?"

"I saw you guys playing video games on the huge 4000p resolution screen in the lab. You can't really try to be professional about it now." Gardenia commented, pursing her lips.

Sina tilted her head, "What do you do, Elizabeth? Are you a Trainer like your sister?"

"In my off time… yeah, sort of. But I'm the Director of our town's research center, which oversees a few other research centers throughout the region…" Elizabeth shrugged, "I'd say I'm the second most powerful researcher in Sinnoh aside from the professor."

"Really?!" Sina looked surprised and a little impressed, "Wow! I didn't take you for a researcher! Dexio and I do a lot of research alongside our professor too!"

Gardenia leaned in, "It's her looks, isn't it? No one ever thinks someone as wild as her would be such a renowned researcher."

"Easy…" Elizabeth glared from behind her sunglasses, "Everyone forgets that Cynthia was worse than I was when we were younger! If you thought I looked bad, oh… you should've seen her! She only took her piercings out for the first time for her Champion's parade because she thought the region would judge her with how edgy she looked!"

Gardenia only giggled to herself. Sina pursed her lips.

"So…" Sina poked at the studs in Elizabeth's right eyebrow, "Did that, like… hurt?"

Elizabeth hurriedly turned her head away and cleared her throat, scratching at the back of her neck. She tried to regain her composure, "What, that silly little thing? Pfft, not one bit!"

Looking at Elizabeth's side profile, Sina then poked the stud in Elizabeth's nose, "How about this one?"

"N-Nope! Didn't hurt at all!" Elizabeth smiled, a bit flustered.

"What about all of these ear ones? You got five different ones here… Doesn't that get heavy?" Sina ran her finger around the outside of Elizabeth's ear, drifting over each of the five rings that adorned her ear.

Elizabeth slinked away at the touch, covering her ear with a hand. She laughed a bit uneasily, "Uh… Can we talk about something else other than my looks?"

Dexio rubbed his stomach for a moment and he spun on his heel to face the rest of the group, "Do you guys want food? I could use some food right now."

"Good idea! Where should we show them?" Sina tapped her chin, "I don't want to take them to a battle restaurant though… So a café?"

"Café Soleil?" Dexio suggested. He was stumped too.

Sina shook her head, "That's Diantha's favorite. I think she'd get mad if we showed them that place before she got the chance to."

Dexio nodded slowly. "Euh… Café Introversion?"

Sina smiled a bit at that, "Of course you'd pick that one. But I think the quiet atmosphere will do!" Sina turned back towards the other two, "Follow me! We're gonna go get some dinner!"

"D-Dinner?" Elizabeth stammered, freezing up where she stood.

"Yeah! Even though they're cafés, they make fantastic food! They can do about anything there!" Sina beamed, "Come on! I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, Liz!" Gardenia muttered in a hushed whisper as she nudged Elizabeth forward with her shoulder, "Come on! Why are you acting so strange?!"

"N-No reason!" Elizabeth stumbled along. She ran a hand through her hair to straighten herself out a bit.

Gardenia just shook her head, linking her arm with Elizabeth's to make sure that she kept walking, "You're so weird…"

* * *

In the middle of reading a book, Cynthia dropped it onto the bed with a sigh before going to tie up her hair. It was getting in her way as she was trying to read, and she was starting to become pretty annoyed by it all in her face. Diantha, who was sitting right next to Cynthia reading something of her own, frowned a bit at the sight.

"I don't think it was the hair that was bothering you." Diantha commented, setting her book down on the table next to the bed.

Cynthia quirked a brow at that, still trying to tame the beast that was her hair, "I don't know, it's definitely getting on my nerves…"

"That's… not what I meant. You were stuck on the same page for at least ten minutes. Something else has to be bothering you." Diantha moved around on the bed to face Cynthia, a concerned look on her face, "Is this about what happened at the council meeting earlier?"

Knowing she had been caught and that there was no point in trying to dance around it, Cynthia just let out a defeated sigh, "Yeah.. It brought up some bad memories.."

Diantha just tilted her head, "About the running away from your problems thing, right?"

Cynthia nodded, grunting under her breath in agreement, "Surely you've noticed how my sister and I are pretty hostile to each other. Some of that is just a sibling thing, but… some of it runs deeper than that. I wasn't always a good influence on her."

Diantha simply reached out for Cynthia's hand at that moment, figuring it best to just let Cynthia speak before she joined in.

"My parents died when I was a teenager. I was pretty mature for my age, but I was… impressionable. My grandmother took me and my sister in after my parents died, but it wasn't the same. I acted out a lot. My grandmother, even though I know she tried so hard… she just couldn't be what my parents were. I couldn't shake my parents' ghost in that house with her. I wound up running away to go work with Professor Rowan, and I worked with him for almost four years. Liz was only twelve when I left, and when I finally returned, she was studying abroad in Unova. When she came back… she absolutely hated me." Cynthia lowered her head and covered her eyes with a hand, "God… I was such an idiot back then… When I ran away from everything, I just made the problem worse… I was such a coward for running away…"

As Cynthia was talking, Diantha noticed that especially towards the end, Cynthia's shoulders started to shake and quiver, and Cynthia would sniffle every time she paused. Diantha squeezed on Cynthia's hand tighter, and before long, Diantha ended up pulling Cynthia into her arms, holding her tight, "Cynthia… Whatever happened back then, things are different now. I know you and Elizabeth fight all the time, but I can tell she cares about you now. Would she have put herself in such danger to try and save you when we went into the Distortion World if she still hated you?"

"I… I just…" Cynthia wiped at her eyes, trying to keep herself from sobbing outright, "Those years where she couldn't stand me were some of the hardest in my life.. Nothing I tried could fix what I did to her… She was so adamant about hating me, and she had a right to! I deserted her when she needed me the most…" She looked up at Diantha, "That's why I freaked at that meeting.. I know how running from your problems only make things worse.. I guess I just couldn't contain myself and I snapped. I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize, Cynthia…" Diantha said softly, "If it wasn't for you or, as much as I hate to admit it, Malva… I don't think I would have been able to get a chance to fix things for myself. I wasn't assertive enough to demand the chance myself. I needed you two then. I should be thanking you for what you did, though I am sorry to hear that this all hit too close to home…"

Cynthia pulled away after that, trying to pull herself together, "Enough about my nonsense…" She muttered, composing herself enough that she wasn't sniffling every few seconds, "What are you planning to do now? We only have two months to double the amount of people interested in battling in this region. Where do we even start?"

Diantha rubbed her chin, grinning slightly, "I may just have an idea… I'm going to need to talk to Augustine and Malva to get everything set up and to spread the word. I know Gardenia's a Gym Leader, so she's a good battler, I presume… What about Elizabeth? Is she any good?"

"Outside of the League, she's probably the only other person I know that could ever give me a good challenge. That Zoroark of hers is unnaturally strong. She can give a good fight. It just boils down to whether or not she wants to.." Cynthia said.

Diantha's grin widened at that, "I think I have just the way to convince her…" There was a bit of a twinkle in her eye as she said that, noting her ingenious plan.

Cynthia let herself smile too, "You guys can hatch this plan of yours while I'm off doing Mega Evolution bootcamp in Shalour City." She let out a forced laugh, "I am not looking forward to that…"

"Ouch, Korrina is tough company. You'll get no letup from her." Diantha warned with a laugh.

"I know…" Cynthia's voice dropped, "Save me…"

* * *

After finally arriving at Café Introversion, Sina led the group inside and brought them to a table. The café was quaint in appearance, small but cozy, and there was soft music playing inside. There was a very quiet atmosphere to it all, making the café fitting to its name.

"Here." Sina passed Gardenia and Elizabeth two menus after sitting down next to Dexio, "It's the drink list! Order anything you want. It's your vacation, after all."

"Huh? ...Oh. Yeah. I'm not 21. I'm probably just going to get water or soda or something. I hear you guys have some fancy orange soda stuff here?" Gardenia explained with a disappointed hint to her voice when she got the menu, and she tried to hand it back. Elizabeth, meanwhile, eagerly snatched the menu right out of Sina's hands and settled into the seat next to Gardenia.

Sina just tilted her head when she got the menu back, confused, "21…? But, the purchasing age here is 18..."

Gardenia's eyes widened at that, "It is…? Give me that!" She swiped the menu back, reading it over with an excited look in her eye.

"This is a terrible idea just waiting to blow up in our faces…" Elizabeth muttered, looking over the menu.

"Hey, Dexio?" Gardenia looked over at Dexio on the other side of the table, holding out the menu towards him and pointing at one of the options. They were in French, "What does this one say?"

"U-Uh… Heh… Good question." Dexio laughed nervously, "Something about an island, and something about tea?"

"Milos Island Iced Tea?" Elizabeth perked up at that, "It's an Unovan specialty."

"Ooo, I like tea… I might go with that." Gardenia smiled.

Elizabeth placed her hand on Gardenia's shoulder, "Oh, honey, no. You are not having that as your first. You will get messed up."

Gardenia just blinked, "But it's just tea..."

"No, it's not. It's five different alcohols and soda. It is not a drink to be taken lightly. Trust me…" Elizabeth winced a bit at that.

"Elizabeth's got a point. That drink does screw with lives." Sina nodded along, "How about you get a Sunrise? It has that orange soda you were excited about. Besides… They don't make it very strong here. It's like a baby drink."

Dexio laughed a little bit at that, "A baby drink… Aw…"

Gardenia pouted, crossing her arms with a huff, "You guys are mean…"

"We're just teasing. If it makes you feel better, I'll order one too." Dexio offered with a smile, "I don't go for hard drinks like this one." He motioned towards Sina with a tilt of his head.

Sina just laughed, "Only sometimes, I'll have you know!"

Everyone else burst into laughter after that too.

* * *

Dinner went swimmingly after that, but before it got too late, Elizabeth figured she should take Gardenia back to the hotel. It so turned out that Gardenia was a lightweight, so she was more than a little loopy by that point. Elizabeth had her arm wrapped around Gardenia when they left the café, and she turned around to at least say goodbye to her two tour guides.

"Thanks for the night out, you two. I know it was a last minute thing since Mademoiselle Superstar had to split, so, uh.. Thanks." Elizabeth smiled, and she pulled the sunglasses that were clipped to her shirt and held them out for Sina, "Oh, you may want these back…"

"Right! Thanks!" Sina clipped those to her shirt, "Are you sure you don't want us to walk you back to your hotel? We don't mind!"

"Nah.. That's quite alright. I don't think I want you around for when Cynthia inevitably yells at me for getting Gardenia drunk." Elizabeth sighed.

"Yeah… Be careful with her." Dexio warned, a concerned look on his face when he looked Gardenia over.

Elizabeth turned to Gardenia, who was practically asleep on her shoulder, "...Ah, jeez."

Sina rubbed the back of her neck and let out a nervous laugh, "Well, I'm sure we'll see you around during your stay! You should drop by the lab again sometime, Elizabeth! I wanna see how the second most powerful researcher in Sinnoh does her work!"

Dexio nodded at that, smiling and waving goodbye, "See you soon!"

"Bye!" Elizabeth immediately spun around and walked away, letting out a deep sigh when she was out of view, "This is not good…" She muttered to herself. In that moment, she heard a text tone go off from a phone, and her phone didn't buzz in her pocket, so it wasn't hers.

Gardenia groggily went to pull out her phone, and she glanced at the screen in her hands, "Who could it be…"

Elizabeth nabbed the phone from Gardenia with relative ease, "Nuh-uh. No. No drunk texting. You'll thank me later. The last thing we need tonight is for you to thirst text someone in your contacts. Take it from someone with experience."

Gardenia pouted, "Fiiiiiiine…"

Right then, Elizabeth's phone went off too, so she pulled out her phone to check to see who it was from.

 _ **[Mademoiselle Superstar:] Would you be interested in performing in an exhibition match at the Battle Château?**_

 _ **[Elizabeth:] Pass.**_

Diantha had put Elizabeth on read after that, and Elizabeth couldn't really bring herself to care. She just kept trudging along with Gardenia at her side on their way back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, after Sina and Dexio had split up with Gardenia and Elizabeth, they too received simultaneous text messages.

"Huh…?" Sina tilted her head, "Hey, did Diantha just text you?"

Dexio nodded his head, "Yeah… Something about a match at the Battle Château."

"I got the same thing... If she's asking us both, then we're probably gonna be fighting together. You in?" Sina asked, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Of course!" Dexio grinned too, "It'll be just like old times..."


	4. Wipeout

Cynthia scratched at her exposed stomach uneasily. The second she arrived in Shalour City for this Mega Evolution bootcamp, Korrina had wasted no time in dragging Cynthia right into the heat of it. Korrina had thrown Cynthia a change of clothes to fit the strange army motif going on around the training center, so Cynthia was wearing camo cargo pants and a black short-sleeved shirt that didn't go any further down than her ribcage. She wondered if the shirt was supposed to actually fit her. The pants felt a little tight too.

"Alright, cadets! It's time to get right down to it!" Korrina shouted, standing tall on her roller skates. She had black lines painted under her eyes to match the whole theme.

Cynthia pressed her lips into a thin line, very unwilling in this situation. She spared a look over at her Lucario, who got the better end of the deal and only had to put on a gauntlet with a Lucarionite embedded in it. Lucario didn't look like a fashion catastrophe like Cynthia did. It was very unfair.

"When I blow this whistle, I want you to complete this obstacle course as quickly as possible! Help each other through it if you must! Points will be deducted if you do not cross the finish line with your partner!" Korrina held her whistle tightly in her grasp.

"Yeah, question." Cynthia raised her hand, "How does this point system work?"

"However I want it to! On your marks, get set, go!" Korrina blew the whistle loud enough for Cynthia to feel as if her eardrums were about to burst, and suddenly they were off.

Cynthia frowned at that response, seeing as she should have known better, but she didn't have much time to dwell on it before she had to start running. And boy, did she hate running.

Already Lucario had a sizable headstart on her, and Cynthia was actually trying at first. The first obstacle were zigzagged tires placed in front of her for a good ten meters or so, so Cynthia had to jump and hop her way through those though it took her a while to get the balance and rhythm down. Then she had to tackle an alternating jump/crawl course, where the odd numbered bars were low to jump over, then the even numbered bars were high so they had to be crawled under. Cynthia was already feeling drained with all the jumping and crawling, and dirt was starting to get on her clothes. Lucario was very far ahead of her at that point. It was not a good sign.

With a heavy groan, Cynthia started on the rock climbing wall, trying to find her footing in climbing up that tall wall. Her upper body strength was starting to fail her, especially when she had to heave herself up onto the platform at the top. She spent a few seconds resting at the top, hunched over and panting.

"Lucario!" She shouted, voice pleading, "Come on! Wait for me!"

Lucario stopped at that, turning around towards Cynthia's voice and crossing its arms. Lucario was so far away. Cynthia felt very inadequate.

There was a rope swing at the top of the rock wall down onto another platform before, with a body of water between the other side of the rock wall and said platform. At least Cynthia wouldn't break every bone in her body if she fell, so she grabbed the rope and swung down, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the worst. She successfully landed on the platform below, and she let out a relieved sigh. She then looked in front of her towards the next obstacle, and her face immediately fell. There were small disks attached to some sort of elastic ropes, and they were set in a line leading to the other platform. Every ounce of pressure on the disks would cause the elastic to quiver and give out, so Cynthia had to cross them as quickly as possible. Taking in a sharp breath to prepare herself, Cynthia started running and placed her foot on the first floating disk, but she put way too much weight on that foot, and the disk gave out beneath her. Cynthia just fell forward with a shriek, through the ropes of the disk in front of that one and right into the mud pit below.

"LUCARIO!" Cynthia yelled with mud dripping off her face, "HELP!"

Cynthia trudged along in the mud over to the next platform, but the platform was too high for her to scale, on her own, so that's where Lucario came in. Lucario extended its paw down for her, and Cynthia used that to heave herself onto the platform where she finally got a chance to brush herself off. The front part of her body was completely encrusted with mud, and she felt like dying. Her muscles burned. She was out of breath. There was mud on her face. This was absolutely terrible.

Lucario, still grasping on to Cynthia's hand, walked forward and tugged at Cynthia to keep moving forward. Cynthia felt so bad, but she really didn't want to go further, but her Lucario's pleading eyes convinced her, and Cynthia let herself be dragged along. The next obstacle was a log roll, which only made Cynthia growl. Wanting to just get the nightmare over with, Cynthia stepped right up to the roll and hopped on, getting a good hold on the little grooves for her hands to fit in before getting right to it and spinning down the decline. The log was spinning incredibly fast, and Cynthia was holding on for dear life. Eventually the log just threw Cynthia off, but luckily it was onto the next platform, so Cynthia just hit the next platform with an unpleasant thud. Cynthia groaned, trying to push herself off the ground, but her entire world was spinning. She barely got herself to her feet but she still couldn't see straight. She did a few spins in the opposite direction than she was spinning in prior to realign herself, but the second she started walking, it was in anything but a straight line. Eventually Cynthia stammered her way over to the next obstacle, and the sight of it nearly made her scream.

"A salmon ladder?!" Cynthia turned to Korrina, "You've got to be kidding me! I can't do one of those!"

"You have to prove that you're able to do anything if it's for the sake of your Pokémon!" Korrina shouted back, "Now hurry! Clock's ticking!"

Cynthia just muttered something presumably unpleasant underneath her breath, and she reached up to grab the bar and hang from it. She swung for a few seconds to try and gain momentum before she lurched upwards to get the bar onto the next rung, but she just dislodged the bar and nothing else. She fell back on the ground, the bar narrowly avoiding her face, and she grimaced at the pain that shot through her back.

"Yeah, okay.. This isn't gonna work…" Cynthia grunted as she forced herself off the ground, "I give up."

Korrina shook her head disapproving, stopping the clock, "Five minutes and twenty-six seconds, plus an incomplete. That's pathetic! You're supposed to be a Champion?!"

"Hey! Normally I don't have to run as a Champion!" Cynthia countered. She rolled her shoulder to stretch it out and work out the kinks.

"Come on, Champ!" Korrina clenched her fists, "You gotta build up endurance! Mega Evolution is draining for both Trainer and Pokémon! Besides, this is also supposed to build up trust between you two! Did you see how Lucario helped you on that one obstacle?! That's exactly what this is all about!"

Cynthia crossed her arms, "Is this really necessary? I mean, I think Lucario and I are close enough…" Proving that, Lucario walked up to Cynthia's side at that point, crossing its arms like Cynthia did.

Korrina huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "Ugh… But I had a whole routine planned and everything! I'm just tryna show you what all I had to do before my Lucario and I were ready to Mega Evolve! We had to work really hard, because the first time we tried, Lucario lost control from all the power! You said you've tried Mega Evolution with your Garchomp, right? How exactly did that go the first time you tried it?"

Letting out a defeated sigh, Cynthia drummed her fingers on her arm, "...She lost control." She admitted, averting her gaze.

"And look at how close you are! Mega Evolution is a hard thing no matter how close you are with your Pokémon! I'm just tryna save you the stress and anguish from watching your Pokémon go beserk right in front of your eyes!" Korrina's voice faltered at that last part, and her arms fell slack at her sides.

Cynthia frowned at that, and she reached down to pick up that bar from the salmon ladder and she set it back on the rung. She let out a breath to steel herself, and she turned back to Korrina, "Set the clock again!"

Korrina smiled a bit at that, and she looked down at the stopwatch, "Ready, and… Go!"

Now with a second wind, Cynthia tried again to go up another rung on the salmon ladder, but she missed again and fell right to the ground, "Yeah, no, that's not happening…"

Korrina actually winced at that wipeout. She could almost feel that one herself. "Uh… You know what? Just skip that one. It's fine. You're fine."

"Thank you…" Cynthia muttered, moving towards the next obstacle: a warped wall. Lucario was at her side, ready to try that obstacle too. She clenched her fists at her sides, getting herself psyched up for the climb.

"Alright, for real this time!" Korrina regained her swagger, "3… 2… 1… Go!"

* * *

Elizabeth was drying her damp hair after a shower in the hotel bathroom when there was a knock at the door. Luckily she had dressed herself, so she made her way over to the door and opened it up only to see Diantha on the other side.

"Hey, superstar." Elizabeth greeted. She was still drying her hair with a towel, and she made no efforts to stop.

"Hi." Diantha smiled back at first, but her expression quickly dropped, "Are you doing well? You've been a bit short-tempered since you've arrived, and I say that with love. I just want you to have a good time here, that's all."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and stepped back, motioning with a tilt of her head for Diantha to come in. She went right back into the bathroom and started to comb her hair, "I've been told that green isn't a color I wear well." She replied with a sigh, not taking her eyes off herself in the mirror.

Diantha just cocked an eyebrow at that, tilting her head in confusion. Elizabeth tore her gaze away from her reflection to catch Diantha's expression, and finally it hit her; Diantha didn't understand the idiom Elizabeth was using.

"Uh… I'm… not feeling well?" Elizabeth lied, suddenly realizing she didn't want Diantha to know the truth, "You know, when you look sick, people call you green in the face."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that…" Diantha prodded the tips of her fingers together. It was surprisingly hard and awkward to be talking to Cynthia's sister… She wondered if Elizabeth even liked her. "Is that why you didn't want to join in on the exhibition match at the Battle Château?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "Sorry. Battling for show isn't my scene. Most of my Pokémon are more so suited for my research purposes."

"And the Zoroark helps in your research, how..?" Diantha asked hesitantly. It was a fair question.

Elizabeth averted her gaze off to the side, "...Yeah, fine, I have a Zoroark because she looks cool and is freakishly strong."

Smiling a bit, Diantha walked closer, "I could really use your help here, you know. It could help me save the Kalos League."

"Hah, doubt it. Why do you need to hold this match, anyways?" Elizabeth finished combing her hair and went to grab some product for her face.

"I have two months to increase Kalos's interest in competitive battling or else the League will be disbanded." Diantha admitted bluntly.

Elizabeth did a double take before staring at Diantha with narrowed eyes. It would have been more intimidating if Elizabeth didn't have moisturizer on only half of her face. "You're kidding."

"I'm afraid not." Diantha sighed, "I was hoping a televised match with some of Sinnoh's finest involved would gather some support for the League. The public just eats up foreigners here."

Letting out a sigh and hanging her head, Elizabeth grasped the edge of the bathroom counter, "Look… I feel bad for you and all, but I really mean it when I say battling for show isn't my scene. I wouldn't give you the explosive battle you need."

Diantha just nodded to that, walking closer until she was right at Elizabeth's side. She rested a hand on the counter and leaned against it, her other hand on her hip, "I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but I guess I do have to play that ace up my sleeve, don't I?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, glancing Diantha up and down when they were suddenly so close, "What are you talking about?"

Diantha rolled her neck and glanced away, "My plans were to have you and Gardenia participate in a match alongside Sina and Dexio. While I initially was hoping for Sinnoh vs. Kalos here, I believe it can be arranged that a different matchup take place…" Her voice sounded incredibly passive until her last few words, where suddenly she took on a confident, playful tone.

Elizabeth's gaze only hardened on Diantha, and she visibly tensed and grew more defensive the more Diantha spoke.

"Would you like it better if I arranged it so that it was Gardenia and Dexio vs. you and Sina? I'm sure you two would make great friends, you know." Diantha smiled, quirking an eyebrow, "What, with you both being researchers and all."

"I don't know what you're trying to get at." Elizabeth muttered, clenching her jaw.

Diantha shrugged, "I'm only giving you another option. If you'd rather work alongside Dexio, that'd be fine as well. He's very sweet. He's got that charm about him that makes lots of girls just go crazy."

There was a moment of pause before Elizabeth spoke up again, and she did so reluctantly, "I'll fight alongside Sina, fine… but only so that Gardenia can be with Dexio. She really wants to get him out of his shell so he'd be her friend."

"It's really sweet of you to think of her first." Diantha smiled widely, "And I do appreciate this. Hopefully this inconvenience for you can pay off."

"Yeah… Don't mention it… And I make no promises as to how good I'll be. Don't fault me if this gets you nowhere."

Diantha frowned a bit at that, "...Right. I'm… sorry for asking this of you. You really can say no if that's truly what you wish."

"No, don't-" Elizabeth groaned at that, rubbing her forehead, "I'm sorry. I'll do this for you. I know that my sister would be crushed if our League disbanded. I can't imagine how it must be for you. I'll… do my best."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." Diantha smiled, but suddenly she remembered something, "Oh, right! Do you know where Gardenia is? I've been trying to get in contact with her to ask her the same thing but she won't respond…"

Elizabeth grimaced at that and smacked her lips, "She's… She's out there in bed."

"At noon?" Diantha asked, tilting her head.

Nodding slowly, Elizabeth stepped out of the bathroom and towards one of the two beds in the room. She flipped back the comforter to show Gardenia underneath, and immediately Gardenia shielded her eyes from the light.

"Nooo… Turn that light off…" Gardenia groaned, curling up into a ball.

"That light's called the sun, Gardenia. You can't just turn the sun off." Elizabeth replied.

Diantha looked immensely concerned, "Have you both come down with something recently?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "No… She's… She's a little…"

"My head is _pounding_ …" Gardenia muttered.

Suddenly a light bulb went off in Diantha's head, and her eyes shot wide and she gasped, "She's hungover!"

"Don't tell Cynthia!" Elizabeth shouted in a panic.

"How can I not?!" Diantha placed both her hands on the sides of her face, "You got the child drunk and now she's hungover!"

"Stop with all the yelling…!" Gardenia covered her ears, "It's so loud…"

"I cannot believe you two…" Diantha shook her head disapprovingly.

"Hey, to be fair, she is 18. She's legally old enough to do whatever she wants, even if it's stupid as all hell." Elizabeth threw her hands up in surrender.

"How could you let this happen?!" Diantha spoke in a harsh whisper, trying not to disturb Gardenia more than she already has.

Elizabeth faltered at that, glancing off to the side, "...Sina and Dexio convinced her. Sina brought it up and Dexio sealed the deal. It was all their fault. You should be thanking me! This idiot was about to drink Milos Island Iced Tea and I stopped her!"

"Snitch…" Gardenia whined.

Diantha just slowly clenched her one hand into a fist to calm herself, and she let out a long exhale, "...You better make sure she drinks water. I won't tell Cynthia, but I really, really do hope you two can make it to that match later on."

"Yes, ma'am." Elizabeth nodded vigorously, "Whatever you say. It's done."

"Yes, mom…" Gardenia rolled onto her back and slowly sat up, wincing as she did so, "Oh my god… Everything's spinning… I don't feel so good…"

"I'm leaving!" Diantha spun on her heel, immediately heading for the door.

"And I'm getting ice for that nice cool glass of water I'm gonna whip up for you!" Elizabeth snagged the ice container off one of the tables and bolted.

Gardenia just laid back down on the bed once everyone ran out, smiling to herself, "...Yay. Quiet…"


	5. Prelude

Shortly after Diantha had awoken, she heard a different notification tone than normal coming from her purse, and groggily she had rummaged through to try and find the source. She knew her phone never made that noise, so it had to be her Holo Caster. She wondered what on earth kind of message she could have received over the Holo Caster. Diantha hadn't used that thing in forever…

When she opened the message, a hologram of Augustine appeared, and he looked as chipper as ever.

" _Diantha! Word around is that you're planning a big match at the Battle Château.. Sina and Dexio excitedly shared with me the news. Come over to my lab when you get the chance! I have a few ideas that can help make this quite the memorable occasion! À bientôt!_ "

Diantha smiled a bit at the sight, and she rubbed at the corner of her eyes as she tried to wake herself up more. She knew that with Augustine having her back that it made turning the region around like she needed to possible. She was also excited to hear about what the ideas he had were all about, so she got ready as soon as possible and made her way across the city to the lab.

Having visited Augustine's lab a million times before, Diantha was always allowed to go to the upper levels without any interference from the staff; Diantha had even grown close to some of them because of all the time she had spent at the lab. As such, Diantha was able to walk right through the main lobby and wave to some of the assistants as she went by before she went into the elevator and made her way to Augustine's office. When she stepped off the elevator, she spotted Sina and Dexio, and a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Marvelous! You two are here as well!" Diantha said in greeting as she stepped forward.

Dexio turned around and grinned back with a nod. Sina waved excitedly. "We were wondering when you would show up!" She cupped her hands and glanced towards the wall partition that blocked off some of Augustine's office, "Professor! Diantha's here!"

Within a few moments, Augustine rounded the corner and let out a content laugh, "You've arrived! Now we can start talking about this match you have planned!"

"Can I just say now how excited Dexio and I are to be a part of this?" Sina jumped in, grinning widely, "Getting the chance to perform in front of all of Kalos… Oh, it's just amazing! Besides, if Dexio and I come out victorious in this next match, that means we get a new rank!"

"I'm aware that both of you are close to becoming a Duke and a Duchess. And I guarantee you that a new title will be given out by the end of the match." Diantha smiled, but suddenly that faltered and she shrunk a bit, prodding her fingertips together, "However… That honor is only going to one of you… I'm afraid you two aren't battling side by side on this one."

"Huh? But we've always fought together…?" Dexio knitted his eyebrows together, confused.

"Who else would we be with if not each other…?" Sina asked as her gaze went to Dexio.

Diantha let out a nervous laugh, "Well… I've been told that Gardenia really wanted to spend more time with Dexio, so she'll be working with him this time. That leaves Elizabeth for you, Sina."

Dexio pointed at himself in surprise, "Gardenia wants to be with… _me?_ "

"Come now, you two!" Augustine wrapped his arms around his two assistants, "Think of this as an opportunity to expand your horizons beyond each other! You could learn a thing or two! Besides, these are some of Sinnoh's finest you have a chance to work with here! A Champion's sister and a Gym Leader are among us after all!"

Scratching her cheek, Sina blinked a few times before she just shrugged, "I'm with Lizzy, huh? I'm sure we'll be perfect together! If anyone can help me get to the rank of Duchess, it's her!"

"I feel much more confident with a Gym Leader on my side. I'm sure I can become a Duke with her help!" Dexio countered, smiling at Sina.

"Oh, it's on!" Sina balled her fists tightly in a clear show of her competitive side.

Diantha smiled slightly, relieved that Sina and Dexio recovered quickly from the news. Her attention went to Augustine after that, "So, Augustine… What were these ideas you mentioned before?"

Augustine snapped his fingers, "That's right! I have a few suggestions for the battle itself, and then I have something a bit more complex.."

"I'm all ears." Diantha perked up, placing her hands behind her back.

"Well, first off, I'm assuming this match will be televised, correct? The Château itself can hold very few spectators, so it would be rather pointless to have such a huge match with very little able to actually view it." Augustine asked with a quirk of his one eyebrow.

Diantha nodded, "Yes, it will be televised."

Smiling widely, Augustine continued, "Then I was thinking that there could be commentators to the match to give it an extra wow factor! It would better capture the audience with some nice commentary along with the battling! You would be one of the commentators, of course, and alongside you shall be yours truly."

Diantha tapped her chin and nodded along as a grin appeared on her lips, "That _is_ a good idea!"

"You two better not say anything bad about us up there!" Sina teased, crossing her arms.

"We'll behave, promise." Diantha laughed softly. Quickly she returned back on topic, and arched an eyebrow, "And that more complex idea of yours?"

Augustine nodded, and his expression took on more of a serious twinge, "Elizabeth and Gardenia both will be given formal invitations and recommendations to become part of the nobility, I'm assuming?"

"Yes. They wouldn't be able to battle on Château grounds otherwise. They will both be inducted as Baronesses." Diantha explained, "Where are you going with this?"

"I've been reflecting on some of the League's faults lately, and I've come to realize that our region is relatively… exclusive. Part of the reason, in my personal opinion, for the lack of interest in battling is how difficult it is for someone to get involved. The Battle Château is only open to those who get invited based on recommendation, or if they're born into it. Only the elite can join, and that can be alienating to most of the public. If we can open more of these opportunities up to the people, then more people can start battling… and hopefully that will increase the popularity of the League." Augustine said with a sigh at the end, "I'm aware that you are one of the heads in the Château, so I figured that you could make this change possible."

As she listened, Diantha lowered her gaze onto the ground and narrowed her eyes. She had never considered it that way before, yet she was starting to see where Augustine was coming from. "...I see. I'll see what I can do."

"It's just something I thought of." Augustine clarified, "Don't feel pressured to do so."

"No, it's just… I didn't realize that we were being so exclusive… I'm saddened that I hadn't noticed it sooner." Diantha said solemnly, letting out a sigh.

Augustine walked over to Diantha and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Don't get too upset about it now. What's important is that we're changing. We're turning this League around, and that's what matters." He smiled at that, "This is going to be a fun match. Don't let anything sour that."

It took a few moments for Diantha to lift her head, but when she did, there was a hint of a faint grin on her face. Diantha was going to open her mouth to say a thank you, but she was cut off by two pairs of arms wrapping around her and two bodies pressing at her sides.

"Aww… Don't be sad, Didi! We'll do everything we can to help you out with this!" Sina insisted, nuzzling her head against Diantha's.

Dexio just squeezed tighter. Words were never his strong suit, especially in situations like these.

"They have a point, Diantha." Augustine chimed in with a snap of his fingers, "We're in this together!"

Slowly, Diantha came to return the embrace Sina and Dexio both gave her, and she flashed a soft smile, "Thank you, all of you.."

* * *

When nightfall came around and the stars started to shine brilliantly, Cynthia sat in front of a fire with Lucario and Korrina alongside her. Another hard day of training passed, and Cynthia was certainly showing the wear of it from the slight tears in her clothes and the dried mud on her arms. She had a few cuts and bruises too. Lucario was barely worn, which was very unfair. They were still improving their teamwork and compatibility together however, so there was at least progress despite the hard work. They were able to get a nice break after that day's work however. It was the first time they got to sit around unbothered for a while. They were even making s'mores.

Cynthia was eating one of her s'mores while she glanced around. Her eyes drifted towards the tent that was set up a few yards away from the fire, and she pursed her lips at the sight, "Are we really going to sleep in that?"

"Uh… Uhhhhhhh…." Korrina just squinted at the tent, not too thrilled herself, "Weelllllll… What we're going to do is have a quick thirty minute quasi-power nap, and then we're going to go and sleep inside!"

"Thank god…" Cynthia let out a sigh of relief, "I could go for a shower too."

"There will definitely be one of those." Korrina nodded vigorously.

Cynthia leaned backwards, letting herself fall back on the ground. There was a content smile on her face, "Finally…"

Korrina grinned a bit at that too, "Don't worry. Your training will be over soon. We kinda had to expedite things a lot and give you a crash course of our normal training because of your schedule, so you've had it harder than most…" She laughed nervously, scratching her cheek.

"I can understand why a lot of people have said that they've quit training because they're not cut out for this kind of stuff now…" Cynthia let out a laugh at that with a shake of her head, "Man… All of my muscles burn…"

"Hey, that shower should help with that." Korrina pointed out as she popped another s'more in her mouth.

"You're right." Cynthia gradually sat up at that, "You're definitely right."

"Mm." Korrina hummed softly, putting another marshmallow on the stick she was holding over the fire, "So… You've never told me how you got your Lucario! I'm sure you have a cool story or something!"

Cynthia scratched behind her ear, glancing over to Lucario who was eating a s'more as well, "Ah… It's really nothing special. I raised him from an Egg. He hasn't left my side since. He was extremely helpful in my fight for Champion as well."

"How'd you get the Egg?!" Korrina asked excitedly, swaying a bit where she sat.

"I don't think that's much of a story…" Cynthia shook her head with a forced laugh.

Narrowing her eyes, Korrina smirked knowingly, "Oh, you're being dodgy… Come on. Spill it. It's not good for your special bond with Lucario if you're ashamed of your origins together."

"I'm not ashamed of it. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's just…you know… personal?" Cynthia shrunk a bit in her seat, rubbing the back of her neck.

Korrina just leaned closer, blissfully swaying her head. She gave Cynthia that look of persistence, and she must have been doing something right, because she managed to get Cynthia to crack under the pressure.

"Alright, fine! I'll tell you! But you can't tell anyone else, you hear me?!" Cynthia growled, her eyebrow twitching.

Korrina smiled proudly to herself, "Oh, this has got to be good…"

"The Egg was a present, alright?" Cynthia ran her hands up and down her arms, "That's it…"

"What, that's it?" Korrina scoffed, but suddenly realization caught up to her. She regained that smug demeanor of hers within a second's notice and crossed her legs, "Ohh… It's not the fact that you got an Egg as a gift that's bothering you… It's _who_ it was from!"

Cynthia averted her gaze with an annoyed grunt, "Enough…"

"That's adorable though!" Korrina laughed and closed her eyes. Suddenly she realized something else again, and she sent Cynthia a strange look, "...But aren't you with Diantha? Are you with two different people...?"

"This was seven years ago, you idiot! I didn't know Kalos's resident movie star even existed seven years ago!" Cynthia countered.

"Hey! Seven years ago Diantha wasn't a movie star yet! She was a theatre star!" Korrina shouted back.

"Oh, _excuse_ me! I didn't realize there was a difference!" Cynthia growled with a sarcastic tint.

Korrina waved that off with a sigh, "Your ignorance aside… I really did mean it when I said that was cute! And the fact you haven't let that interfere with your bond with Lucario even though it didn't work out is sooo sweet!"

Cynthia did smile a bit at that, "It didn't end on bad terms, you know. We're still friends to this day, him and I. Besides, I wasn't going to let that get in the way of me and my young Riolu at the time."

"Then why are you so evasive about it if it wasn't bad?" Korrina asked, tilting her head.

"It's not because of Riley that I'm evasive about it." Cynthia sighed, "It's because I was _17_. Everyone's an idiot at that age. I don't like looking back on those years.."

Korrina's eyes flashed red, "...Take that back." said the 17 year old.

Letting out a laugh, Cynthia raised her hands in surrender, "Come talk to me in seven years. Let's see if you're ashamed of your teenage years or not by then."

Korrina did ease up a bit afterwards, and she went to go grab another marshmallow when she realized the bag was empty. She immediately pouted and stood up, brushing herself off, "You know what? I wanna go back inside. There's nothing left to do out here, anyway."

"Finally…" Cynthia stood up as well, stretching out her back by hoisting her arms over her head, "Lucario? Mind putting out the fire?"

Lucario used Extreme Speed, creating enough winds from the speeds he reached to extinguish the flames in record time.

Cynthia just snapped her fingers and grinned, starting the walk back towards the building, "It's gonna be real nice sleeping in an actual bed and not the ground tonight…"

"You mean you didn't sleep inside last night?" Korrina stopped and glanced back at Cynthia.

"No…?" Cynthia narrowed her eyes, "You mean I could have been inside?!"

Korrina just nodded slowly at that. It took every ounce of self-restraint for Cynthia to not scream in response.

* * *

On the day of the match, Diantha arrived at the Battle Château early to oversee the camera crew and Château officials set up for the show later on. She watched as different cameras were set up to record all the action at every possible angle. Off to the side of the battlefield was a station being constructed for the commentators, but that wasn't yet complete. All was coming together smoothly, but there was soon to be a little dent wrenched into her plans as Diantha was about to realize by someone's unsolicited arrival.

"My, my… This sure is beginning to look like a party." A voice said in an amused drawl, low laughter laced in with the last of their words.

Diantha turned to the source of the voice, and immediately she felt her breath hitch at the sight of Malva parading onto the battlegrounds with her camera crew following her every step. They didn't seem to be rolling yet, but they did not let Malva out of their sights.

"Malva…" Diantha said cautiously.

"Hey, superstar." Malva greeted with a banterful tone that sent unpleasant chills down Diantha's spine, "Looks like this nifty little exhibition is coming together well. Congratulations to you."

Flashing a look of confusion for a brief moment, Diantha eventually schooled her expression as to not instigate anything, "...Thank you. What are you doing here?"

Malva grinned in an almost predatory manner, "I'm offering you a service. In exchange for something from you, of course."

"A service…?" Diantha quirked an eyebrow, still on a high guard, "And a favor. I should've expected as much. Alright… Name your terms."

"Always right to business. I do like that about you, after all." Malva teased with a laugh, but she eventually simmered down, "I'll do a Caster segment to advertise your little show for you, you know, to try and increase those ratings of yours. All I ask is a tiny request in return.."

Diantha narrowed her eyes, "Then state it."

Malva placed a hand on her hip and leaned forward, "I'd like to be a part of the colorful commentary crew, is all. I'll even try and behave."

"How do you even know there will be commentary?" Diantha asked with an air of suspicion, "That part hasn't been made public yet."

"I have my sources…" Malva preened, but in a moment she dropped the act and waved her hand dismissively, "Come now, Diantha. I have eyes. I can see the stand that's being set up. What else would it be for if not for the commentators? Concessions for the combatants?"

Despite herself, Diantha found herself letting out a laugh at that joke of Malva's. However, she quickly returned to a guarded air. She didn't know Malva's intentions and she was starting to suspect them, "We'd love to have you. Someone with as large of a fanbase as yourself would definitely draw in more viewers."

"Exactly. It'd be my pleasure to help." While Malva didn't have that smug look on her face as she spoke, there was still a strange lilt to her voice that set DIantha on edge. Before Diantha could say anything, however, Malva turned to her camera crew and waved them forward. She was handed a microphone and she ran a hand through her hair as the cameras trained on her, "Alright, superstar, let's get this exclusive segment over with, yeah? I hope you're ready for an interview."

Diantha sucked in a sharp breath and forced a nod. She had practice in faking composure in interviews from years of experience, so that wasn't the issue here. The entire time Malva was introducing the segment in front of the cameras, Diantha kept a careful, studious gaze on her, trying to keep it hidden from the cameras. While Diantha was more than grateful for the help, Malva's intentions were still elusive to her, and that simply filled Diantha with unease. The more Diantha thought about it, the more she realized that both of those suggestions were mostly beneficial to her, not Malva. She wondered why Malva was being so helpful, dreading the eventual repercussions because surely Malva was trying to keep Diantha owing her favors. Eventually however, Diantha just let out an exhale and relaxed, figuring that perhaps she was looking into things too much. Maybe there were no ulterior motives behind Malva's behavior, and that she was helping in her own unruly way to keep the League afloat; Malva did express that she on Diantha's side for once.

When Malva turned to her to introduce her to the viewers, Diantha let herself smile and wave towards the cameras, no longer as guarded as before. She wasn't faking that composure like she was now that she thought things over. For once, this was an interview she could just breeze through…

* * *

Kalos, as Cynthia has come to realize, was a region that abided by its traditions and would not stray from them even in the modern age. She had gotten her first hint of that when Sina had told her that Kalos maintained its traditional language even when it adopted the universal language to become a part of the International League, unlike Sinnoh whose native language has since been abandoned ever since the switch decades ago. Cynthia later was exposed to this sense of tradition in Kalos when she was at the end of the Mega Evolution training, where she was in the Tower of Mastery getting prepared for the moment of truth. The Mega Evolution Guru, Gurkinn, was suiting Cynthia up for the ceremonial gifting of the Key Stone by the Successor. It was nothing too extravagant, but Cynthia was required to be wearing one of the traditional mantles as well as some forearm bracers alongside her teal blouse and black pants. After Gurkinn had entrusted these traditional garments to Cynthia, he turned to her with a proud look.

"The Successor awaits you at the top of the tower." He said, "All of your training has led to this moment, and it will pay off."

Cynthia nodded, "Thank you for having me. No matter what happens, I know that this whole experience has made me and Lucario grow closer. I couldn't be happier about that."

Gurkinn set his hand on her shoulder, "It's always a pleasure to see foreigners interested in the tradition. Now go. Do not keep the Successor waiting any longer."

With that, Cynthia turned towards the spiral staircase that led to the top of the tower, and she clenched her fists to steel herself. She began on her long ascent to the very top of the tower, making her way through the arduous trail until she reached the passageway to the balcony. If she had tried to make that ascent before her training, she would have been winded and sore by reaching the top, but she was relatively unbothered if not a little strained from all those stairs. The training was already paying off, and the moment of truth hadn't even arrived yet.

Stepping out onto the balcony, Cynthia spotted Korrina there in a mantle similar to the one she was wearing herself, but Korrina's had more adornments due to her role as Successor. Korrina was looking out over the edge of the balcony, but she turned around when she heard Cynthia's approaching footsteps. Her hair was down and she was out of her rollerskates for once. She had slipped into her duties as Successor perfectly. There was a silence between Korrina and Cynthia at that moment, with the only noise being the whistling breeze as it caused both their mantles and hair to ripple from the strength of the wind.

"I'm sure you've been waiting for this moment." Korrina began with, sporting a small grin, "Everything you've been through has been leading up to right now. Are you ready?"

Cynthia shot a grin back, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Extending out her hand, Korrina let herself smile wider while she waved for Cynthia to walk over, "Then join me."

Cynthia stepped up to stand by Korrina's side near the edge of the balcony, and Korrina looked out towards the sky and the sea, inviting Cynthia to join her.

"Isn't this view so nice?" Korrina asked with a soft voice, "It's part of the reason that this place was named to be where the Key Stones are passed over. The old gurus did it so that we would never forget to set our sights as high as the sky. It's a little cheesy, but I have to admit, I still feel invigorated when I'm up here." She turned to Cynthia at that moment and flashed an apologetic grin, "Ah… sorry. I'm just rambling at this point. You didn't come up all this way to hear my history lesson, so let's just roll right on to it! Your hand, if you'd please!"

Cynthia laughed softly at that. She can't remember how many times she's had to apologize for something similar to that, so she certainly understood Korrina's predicament there. Cynthia did as asked and offered her hand with her palm facing the sky. Korrina placed one of her hands underneath it to steady it, and with her other hand, Korrina kept it clenched right above Cynthia's.

"Here it is, Champion. Your very own Key Stone." Korrina couldn't contain her wide smile as she set the small sphere into Cynthia's palm.

Letting the Key Stone roll into her fingertips, Cynthia lifted the small orb up into the air to see the sunlight filter through it and allow for the rainbow gem to shine brilliantly with all its colors. Cynthia cracked a smile at the sight and clenched it tightly in her hand when she looked back at Korrina, "Thank you, Successor."

"Now, you know what comes next, right Champ?!" Korrina balled the fist wearing the Mega Glove as she brandished a Pokéball in her other hand, "Get back in line, because it's about time to start throwing some punches! The only way you're leaving here with that Key Stone is if you defeat me, right here, right now!"

Cynthia pulled out a Pokéball as well and returned to where she was standing before she was called over by Korrina, and she had a smug look on her face, "Trust me, I know what comes next. As a Champion, I know it too well."

Korrina wagged her finger playfully at that, "Nope. At this tower… You're no longer a Champion, and I'm no longer a Gym Leader. This is a battle between an apprentice and the Successor! That's all there is to it!"

"Oh, I catch your drift…" Cynthia let out a short laugh, "Alright then! Successor Korrina! I challenge you to a battle!"


	6. Clash at the Château

Turner, the chef de maison of the Battle Château, stood in front of a kneeling Elizabeth and Gardenia with a rapier sword in his hand. Cameras were trained in on him as well as the two women before him, and all the eyes of the spectators on the balconies overlooking the battlegrounds were on those three as well. Diantha, Augustine, and Malva were in the highest balcony with cameras and microphones in front of them for the future battle. There was also ceremonial music playing by the noble band to complete the scene.

"With these oaths thereby sworn, it falls upon me, Sir Turner, to induct our newest members of the nobility." He raised his sword, and his eyes went to Elizabeth, "I dub thee Baroness Elizabeth." Turner tapped Elizabeth's shoulder once with the sword, "And I dub thee Baroness Gardenia." He did the same to Gardenia with a simple tap on the shoulder, "Now rise, and accept the white robes befitting to your title of Baroness."

Elizabeth and Gardenia both stood up straight, turning towards the maids that came forth and gifted them with the white robes. They helped in putting them on the two new Baronesses, and afterwards, they bowed and excused themselves.

"Now, shall the Marquis Dexio and the Marchioness Sina join us?" Turner motioned outward to Sina and Dexio who stood on the sidelines, waving them in. Once those two joined with Elizabeth and Gardenia, Turner respectfully bowed to the four of them and excused himself as well, "I shall pass this over to the referee for the match. Good luck to all of you."

The referee jumped forward now that the chef de maison was finished, and now the solemn atmosphere got to shift into a more excitable one, "AAAAALRIGHT!" He shouted, "Will the teams go to their stations, please!"

As the four of them split up to go to their sides, Augustine finally got to begin with the broadcasted commentary, "What a beautiful ceremony. I remember watching Sina and Dexio's ceremony years ago. It's still just as breathtaking."

Diantha smiled at that before glancing down at the battlefield below, "I'd say it's been nearly 15 years since my own induction ceremony… I was the youngest inductee in the Château's history back then."

"Our superstar Champion's always been shattering records, I see." Malva joined in. Maybe it was the fact that she was on-air and had an image to upkeep, but she was a lot more pleasant this time around.

Back on the battlefield, Dexio and Gardenia got situated on their side of the battlefield, standing on a blue platform. Gardenia excitedly held out her hand for him, "Here's to a good match, right?"

Dexio smiled and nodded to that, taking Gardenia's hand and shaking it, "Yeah. Let's put on a good show for everyone watching!"

Gardenia grinned widely in response, letting out a soft giggle, "You got it!"

Meanwhile, Elizabeth stood next to Sina and crossed her arms, glancing the other woman over, "Yellow…?" She asked, referring to Sina's robes as a Marchioness.

"Heh, yeah. I'm not too sold on it either.." Sina shrugged, but she soon leaned forward and dropped her voice into a whisper, "You _could_ get me out of these depressing yellow robes by winning this, though..." She teased with a laugh.

Elizabeth's eyes shot wide and she looked over at Sina with her face turning completely red, "...Huh?"

"Because then I'll get promoted to Duchess, silly! I get red robes if I become a Duchess!" Sina continued, seemingly clueless as to the implications of what she said earlier.

Letting out a cough, Elizabeth just placed her hand over her chest, trying to get her heart to calm down after that. Luckily for her, the referee was about to get things started, so she had something to take her mind off of that awkward moment.

"Battlers! Your Pokémon, please!" The referee shouted, motioning towards the two sides.

Dexio revealed a Pokéball first, and he threw his out onto the field before anyone else had the chance, "Go, Raichu!"

The Raichu that appeared on the battlefield was no normal Raichu, however. It was tanner than a regular Raichu, and it was floating on its tail in the air.

"And Dexio's Pokémon for the match is an Alolan Raichu!" Augustine announced, "A very interesting choice! This will allow Kalos to become acquainted with some of Alola's unique regional variants!"

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of the Raichu, "I know you said your friend isn't very good with English, but that is not a Raichu. It looks like a burnt pancake."

"Hey, easy!" Sina huffed, "It's a Raichu from Alola! They're different over there!"

Gardenia simply had to fight to contain a squeal, "It's. so. cuuuute!" She shouted, and she quickly fished around for her own Pokéball, "Alright, let's join Raichu out there! Tropius, let's go!"

Tropius appeared in a bright flash when Gardenia threw its Pokéball, and it joined Raichu's side in the air by flapping its leafy wings.

"Our grass type expert here is sticking to her roots with Tropius!" Malva announced, "That's it for the Blue Team, so let's see how the Red Team will match up!"

"Don't worry, Lizzy. I got an ace up my sleeve with this pick. Just trust me!" Sina smiled widely as she summoned forth her Pokémon, a Glalie.

"It appears as if Sina is going for a type advantage over the Blue Team's Gardenia here with a Glalie!" Augustine said, "But will it be enough to secure the victory over the other team? We'll have to wait to tell!"

Elizabeth glanced down at the Pokéball in her hand, her lips pursed together into a thin line. Battling wasn't her strong suit, but she had to at least try something. She summoned her Luxray onto the field without a word, letting Lucy make her own entrance with a loud roar.

Diantha faltered for a moment, but eventually she made her comment on Elizabeth's pick to the viewers, "Our final Pokémon for the match is a Luxray! That makes the matchup for this battle Tropius and Raichu vs. Luxray and Glalie! This will surely be interesting…!"

Diantha's strange behavior didn't slide past Malva and Augustine, and Malva wound up placing her hand over her mic, "What's the matter, superstar? Regretting your choice in combatants already?"

Covering her mic as well, Diantha let her disappointment and confusion show on her face, "What is she doing…" She mumbled, sending Elizabeth a worried look, "She was supposed to use her powerhouse…!"

"She was _supposed_ to use, or that's what you _hoped_ she would use for entertainment value?" Malva shot back, removing her hand from her microphone to show she was finished with the off-the-record conversation.

Diantha just let out a long exhale, staring at the scene play out below her. Already she was feeling worried about the match.

"The Blue Team may have the first move! Let the match… BEGIN!" The referee threw down his hand and blew his whistle.

Gardenia raised her hand into the air, pointing at the sky, "Sunny Day!"

Tropius lifted its head and focused, causing the sun's rays to increase in intensity. Kalos's typical afternoon clouds vanished and the bright sun was able to shine without interference, much to Elizabeth's dismay.

"...Ugh…" Elizabeth muttered, covering her eyes with a hand as she turned away from the sun.

Sina, in seeing Elizabeth's extreme discomfort in the sun, let out a sigh and passed over those sunglasses of hers that she had tucked away, "I swear, it's like Sinnohans are allergic to the sun… You're not going to get burnt, are you?"

Elizabeth snatched those sunglasses immediately and put them on, finally able to look back at the battlefield again, "Depends if this match lasts longer than ten minutes…"

Dexio easily riffed off of Gardenia's plan with his next move as well, "Electric Terrain!"

At Raichu's command, yellow sparks coated the entire battlefield and set the ground asunder in a golden yellow hue. Every now and then electricity would crackle from the yellow terrain, but seeing as all of the Pokémon were airborne other than Lucy, that didn't pose as a problem to anyone.

Elizabeth again found herself flinching at the sight, "Is their strategy to blind us? Ugh… I'm not standing for this. Lucy, use Crunch on Raichu, let's go!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Gardenia warned with a smile she couldn't suppress, "Grass Knot!"

Just as Lucy started to run towards Raichu, Tropius caused green roots to burst out of the ground at Lucy's feet. Lucy caught a paw on the root and tumbled forward face-first right into a ground with an unpleasant and loud thud.

Elizabeth growled at that, "Cheap move!"

"Lucy, fall back!" Sina shouted, throwing her arm out to the side, "Use Blizzard, Glalie!"

Even though Sina wasn't her trainer, Lucy knew better than to face a snowstorm and she ran behind Glalie to be safe. Glalie opened its mouth and caused bright blue pellets of snow to shoot outwards towards Raichu and Tropius with heavy and cold winds to further bombard them. Raichu was fazed of course, but was steeling itself against the Blizzard fairly well. Tropius however was having a much harder time, seeing as Ice-type moves were extremely effective against it.

"Tropius!" Gardenia called out in concern. An idea came to her mind and immediately she went with it, "Air Slash! Get yourself out of there!"

Despite the bombardment of snow, Tropius's wings glowed white, and suddenly Tropius used its wings to unleash a huge gust of air that pushed back all of the snow back towards the other side of the field. When Glalie finished with its Blizzard move, Lucy had stepped out from behind it, but that then made her susceptible to the Air Slash-Blizzard combo which crashed right into her and Glalie.

"Some friendly fire, I see…" Malva laughed to herself, resting her chin in her hand.

"Ugh… Sorry, Lizzy." Sina scratched her cheek, ashamed by the friendly fire. She soon regained her confidence and she went back after the other team, "Use Ice Fang on Raichu!"

Glalie rushed after Raichu as its mouth opened and glowed a brilliant blue, but before it could chomp down on Raichu, Raichu nearly vanished from plain sight as it dodged and appeared behind Glalie.

"Psyshock!" Dexio commanded.

Raichu's eyes glowed brightly as it summoned five large masses of different blues and purples that surrounded Glalie, and soon those masses fired psychic beams that converged inward on Glalie, knocking it into the ground.

"Wow! Your Raichu is so fast!" Gardenia beamed, clasping her hands together.

Dexio smiled at that, "It's because of Raichu's ability. Its speed increases dramatically under Electric Terrain."

"Electric Terrain, huh?! Well, that's a double-edged sword if I've ever seen one!" Elizabeth growled, setting her sights on Tropius, "Wild Charge!"

Lucy started running towards Tropius, and the more ground she covered, the more sparks formed around her. By the time she reached Tropius, she was immersed entirely in yellow energy, and she leaped upwards to slam her body into Tropius and discharge all that electricity upon it.

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt! With Electric Terrain boosting Electric-type moves, that already devastating move was made even deadlier!" Diantha said, impressed by Elizabeth's tactics.

Elizabeth smiled at that, and she clenched her fist, "Keep up the momentum with Crunch on Raichu!"

Lucy landed back on the ground but staggered for a moment because of the recoil from Wild Charge, but soon she started to chase down Raichu. Even though Raichu was fast, Lucy's speed was incredible too, so it was a difficult chase.

"Grass Knot!" Gardenia snickered, placing her hands on her hips.

Tropius, still trying to reorganize itself after that devastating hit from Wild Charge, eventually regained its composure long enough to cause another green root to sprout out of the ground at Lucy's feet, tripping Lucy and causing her to fall face-first into the ground… again.

"Gardenia is still sticking to that slippery Grass Knot move, it seems!" Malva commented, suppressing a smile to the best of her ability.

"Well, there's no use fixing something if it's not broken!" Augustine laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Ice Beam!" Sina shouted, growing a bit frustrated at their team's inability to land a solid hit on Raichu.

Glalie gathered blue energy in its mouth before firing it off at Raichu to no avail… and its eyes narrowed at that.

"Again! Go until you hit it!"

At its trainer's insistence, Glalie continued to fire out Ice Beams at Raichu, even going to the length of leading its shots to try and guarantee a hit. Eventually one beam did hit, encasing Raichu in ice to which Sina and Elizabeth celebrated… until Raichu fell because it could no longer levitate in a frozen form and broke free from the ice once it shattered when it hit the ground.

"Come on!" Elizabeth growled, "Can't we hit this thing?!"

Sina let out a huff, pushing up the fabric of her cloak to show her left wrist, "Alright… Looks like I'm going to have to play this ace sooner than I expected…"

Diantha leaned forward in her seat, "It looks as if Sina has something up her sleeve! The battle has come to a standstill as she reveals her trump card!"

Sina raised her left arm into the air, causing the bracelet she was wearing to shine a bright white, "Don't worry, Lizzy! This should level things out for us!" Rays of light shot out from Sina's Mega Ring that joined with the rays of light produced from the Glalitite. Soon Glalie was obscured from sight entirely from the lights and energy, and when that light dissipated, Glalie underwent a serious transformation with its jaw now being busted wide open and its horns now more elongated.

"Mega Evolution finally makes its debut in this battle in the form of Sina's Mega Glalie! Things are starting to get really tense on the battlefield here!" Augustine smiled widely when Sina unveiled Mega Glalie, as if he had been waiting the entire battle for that to happen.

Dexio grinned at the sight too, "So, she's giving it her all now, huh…?"

Elizabeth looked over at Sina, greatly surprised at what just happened, "W-What are you doing?! Are you trying to get us disqualified?!"

"Disqualified?" Sina looked confused, "Why would we be…?"

She would soon find the answer to that question when Gardenia cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed from across the battlefield, "CHEATER!"

Turning towards Gardenia, Dexio seemed a little hurt, "Does the region of Sinnoh really believe that Mega Evolution is cheating…?"

"Think about it for a sec!" Gardenia clenched her fists, "It's a super hard means of powering up your Pokémon that most people can't use, and it's only available to a select few Pokémon in the first place! Doesn't that seem like an unfair advantage?"

Dexio frowned at that and nodded in understanding, "I see… I'm… sorry you feel that way."

"Oh, no, Dexy!" Gardenia panicked, flailing her hands about, "I-I take it back! It's fine! It's not cheating! I love Mega Evolution!"

Elizabeth shivered a bit, but she forced herself to seem composed, "...Alright. I guess this is how we're doing this… Ah, it doesn't matter. Let's just get back to it."

Sina scratched her cheek, glancing between Gardenia and Elizabeth with pursed lips. Eventually she forced those feelings to the back of her mind and focused back on the battle.

"It looks as if after a brief pause, we'll be getting back to the battling." Diantha observed.

Malva nearly scoffed, "About time…"

"Let's see how Mega Evolution shakes things up in this match!" Augustine crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward, entirely invested in the match at this point.

Sina was ready to show off Glalie's new power under Mega Evolution, and again she directed her sights at Raichu, "Freeze Dry!"

The horns on Glalie's head shined blue and it forged a blue sphere in between its two horns. Charging up that sphere, Glalie then turned that sphere into a condensed beam that fired off towards Raichu, nailing a direct hit and causing Raichu to fall to the ground.

"Follow it up with Ice Beam on Tropius!" Sina commanded, feeling renewed by her success so far.

Glalie fired off another blue beam from its mouth at Tropius's wings, clipping them and causing Tropius to crash into the ground as well.

"Tropius!" Gardenia called out for her Pokémon in concern.

"Wow! It looks like Glalie's Mega Evolution has put the Blue Team on edge!" Diantha commented, completely wrapped up in the battle.

Elizabeth smirked at the sight, and she decided to get in on the action too, "Alright, Lucy! We're taking down Raichu this time! Crunch!"

Lucy took after Raichu again, baring its teeth and sinking its fangs into Raichu's tail. Finally, Lucy got to land that move on Raichu without Grass Knot's interference.

"This is looking bad for the Blue Team…" Augustine placed his hand on his chin, "Will they be able to get out of this?"

Gardenia grasped at her hair, nearly pulling it out, "This is bad! This is getting bad all because of that cheating Glalie!" Looks as if she had already retracted from her statements before…

Dexio stepped closer to the edge of the platform, letting out a breath to steel himself, "Don't give up yet, Gardenia." He turned back to her and smiled, "I have a plan too. I'll take care of that Glalie. Just watch!"

Gardenia eased up at that, her panic instead being replaced by curiosity. Dexio pulled back on his cloak to show a bracelet on his left hand as well, and he took up a firm stance. Crossing his arms over his face, Dexio caused his bracelet to flash a bright light, and then he swung his arms to the right and then to the left.

"Stoked Sparksurfer!" Dexio shouted, angling his left hand upwards and his right hand downwards with his left arm positioned over his right.

This caused a brilliant aura to surround Raichu as it charged its Z-Power, and then Raichu took to the air in a blazing trail of electricity, becoming completely engulfed by a yellow energy. Dexio pointed at Mega Glalie, and Raichu jettisoned downwards like a meteor right into Glalie and created a continuous downpour of lightning to rain overtop the Ice-type Pokémon. Raichu floated away afterwards, and when the lightning finally subsided, it showed Mega Glalie having reverted back to its base form, fainted.

"Knocked down so soon…" Malva let out a pensive sigh, "And just when Glalie Mega Evolved… A shame. That's a Z-Move in full swing, kids. Absolutely devastating."

"What?!" Sina gasped, "Already?!"

"What even was that?!" Gardenia turned to Dexio in a complete shock, but she was quickly snapped from that when she saw Dexio stumble backwards, drained from using the Z-Move. She rushed over his side to catch him, supporting Dexio with one arm wrapped around his back and another placed on his chest. "H-Hey! Are you okay?!" She asked, obviously concerned.

"Y-Yeah… I haven't quite mastered that yet…" Dexio let out a nervous laugh, "Z-Power still drains me…"

"Yeah, no kidding…" Gardenia looked Dexio over, still trying to keep him upright in her arms, "That was some crazy move you pulled there… It was so awesome!"

"CHEATER!" Elizabeth screamed from her side of the field. It was unsure whether or not she meant it or was just making a crack at Gardenia. It was probably both.

Sina let out a disappointed sigh, turning her back on the match and hanging her head after she recalled Glalie, "I'm sorry, Lizzy… Looks like I'm the first one out… Ugh, that's sooo infuriating!"

Elizabeth snapped out of her anger and turned back to Sina, now feeling sympathetic over Sina's sudden sadness, "Hey… Don't apologize…" She stammered out a bit awkwardly at first, but she cleared her throat and turned back to the battlefield to regain her composure, "I'm still in this… Trust me! You wore them down, and now I'll finish it!"

Looking back over at Elizabeth, Sina let herself smile from her words, "Good luck, Lizzy. You got this!"

Elizabeth let out a breath to prepare herself, and she focused back on the battle, "Use Wild Charge on Tropius!"

At this point, Gardenia didn't even need to give out the order. She just snapped her fingers and Tropius made a root snag Lucy's foot and cause her to trip up in the midst of running towards Tropius. This wipeout was even worse than the rest, because Lucy had gathered up so much momentum for Wild Charge, and she crashed face-first into the ground and then tumbled and rolled forward until her body eventually skidded to a stop, and Lucy didn't look like she was going to get up easy.

"Another Grass Knot…" Diantha drummed her fingers on the table, shaking her head, "This is starting to feel personal."

Meanwhile, Malva, who had spent a good portion of the match trying to maintain her reporter persona of being composed, nice, and calm, was finally giving up in keeping that facade, and unable to help it, she burst out into raucous laughter, slamming her hand on the table and lowering her head, "How many times is she going to fall for that stupid trick?!" She managed to utter out in between her fits of laughter, "This is gold!"

"Come on, Lucy…" Elizabeth mumbled, watching as Lucy slowly rose to her feet, "We're not losing here… We might be pretty beat up, but they are too! We can clinch this!"

"I don't think so." Gardenia shook her head with a proud smile, and she took one of her hands off of Dexio to show Elizabeth two fingers, "I got two final words for you, Liz!"

"If they happen to be 'Grass' or 'Knot,' I am personally coming over there to punch you in the face!" Elizabeth growled at Gardenia, clenching her fists to prove her point.

Gardenia shook her head again, "Solar Beam!"

"NO! THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

With the added boost of Sunny Day, Tropius was able to quickly charge up a golden sphere of energy and then release that energy in a gigantic, oppressive beam of light that rippled across the battlefield to crash right into Lucy. The ground tore up because of the huge expanse of energy, and Lucy was swallowed whole in the golden light.

Elizabeth walked to the edge of the platform, eyes wide in panic, "Lucy!"

Sina joined Elizabeth's side, and somehow they both wound up clinging to each other out of fear and anticipation.

When the smoke cleared, Lucy was barely supporting herself on all fours, crouched on the ground with its eyes closed. She twitched a few times as she tried to force herself to stand up fully, but despite all her injuries, she hadn't fainted yet.

"We're still in it!" Elizabeth smiled excitedly, "Hang in there, Lucy!"

Dexio, who was able to stand on his own at that point, frowned at the sight. Even though he was impressed with Lucy's resilience, the fight still had to come to an end eventually. "Electro Ball. Let's finish this." He ordered with a level voice, a bit saddened to be the one putting an end to the battle, and especially to be the one to bring down Lucy after that display.

Raichu charged a sphere of electricity at its tail and then spun around to release it, sending it coursing towards the unstable Lucy.

In a split second and desperate order, Elizabeth wound up issuing the strangest order, "Eat it!"

Sina tore her gaze away from the fight to glance at Elizabeth with a concerned look, "...Huh?"

"Eh?!" Gardenia blinked, dumbfounded.

Dexio opened his mouth hesitantly, and he turned towards Gardenia, "...I'm sorry. I think it's my English that made me miss that. Did she just say… 'eat it?'"

True to the order, Lucy used the last of her strength and leaped up to intercept the Electro Ball by clamping its mouth around it, causing some sparks to seep through her teeth before it exploded into violent streams of lightning. Lucy didn't falter however, in fact she was snarling and lowering herself into a pouncing position, ready to go. Her entire body was crackling with excess electricity, lightning flowing through and off of her aggressively as if instead of sustaining damage from the Electro Ball, she gained strength from it.

"What a shocking twist!" Augustine began, though he was soon smacked by both Malva and Diantha for that play on words, "By eating the Electro Ball, Luxray has gotten a boost in energy!"

"Only a Trainer as crazy as that one would be reckless enough to bark out that order to eat it." Malva joked, "I'm surprised it paid off."

Diantha didn't say anything to that, but she did smile. Elizabeth might not have been using her powerhouse, but she was still putting on a show otherwise.

Elizabeth looked surprised at first, but she wasn't going to complain or take that opportunity for granted, "Discharge!"

Lucy pounched to in between both Raichu and Tropius, where she released all of that excess electricity in a brilliant yellow explosion that engulfed the entire blue half of the battlefield. A huge dome of lightning spewed from Lucy's body that caught both Tropius and Raichu inside, and when that dissipated, it showed that Tropius was down for the count.

"What?! No way! That's not possible!" Gardenia stammered, looking at her fainted Tropius, "NO!"

Dexio clutched at his chest, intimidated by Lucy's sudden surge in power yet unable to do anything about it, "Raichu…!"

"Crunch!" Elizabeth pointed at Raichu, a wide smirk on her lips after tasting a glimpse of victory.

Lucy sank its fangs into Raichu's shoulder, then she used that tether onto Raichu to spin over and launch Raichu towards the ground, resulting in a huge pillar of dust and debris to kick up from the impact. Lucy retreated back to the red side of the field, though she soon found it hard to support herself from exhausting all of her energy.

When the dust cleared, the result was simple. Raichu was unconscious on the ground, swirls in its eyes. The referee called it.

"Both Pokémon on the Blue Team are unable! The winner is the Red Team!" The referee shouted, waving his hand towards Sina and Elizabeth.

"And that is it!" Augustine snapped his fingers, "Quite the explosive match, might I say! It looks as if Sina and Elizabeth have clinched victory over Dexio and Gardenia!"

"A valiant effort on Dexio and Gardenia's end." Diantha nodded, "Gardenia certainly is a Gym Leader for a reason. Dexio was no pushover as well. That Z-Move sure changed the game!"

"I could have watched Grass Knot trip up that Luxray all day…" Malva smiled at the memory, and she glanced at her nails.

Sina grinned widely and turned to Elizabeth, squealing from joy, "We did it, Lizzy! We won! We won!"

"Wow… It did _not_ look good there for a bit…" Elizabeth laughed awkwardly, scratching at the back of her head.

Unable to help herself, Sina jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth in an excited hug, "You were so amazing out there! I can't believe you managed to come back and win that for us! You're the best!"

Elizabeth froze at the sudden contact, caught off-guard by Sina's embrace. She didn't regain her composure before Sina inevitably pulled away, and before Sina could ask if everything was okay, Lucy suddenly ran up and tackled Elizabeth to the ground. Elizabeth secretly thanked her for the save.

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh when Lucy began licking her face, purring loudly. She scratched Lucy's head, getting that sweet spot right under the ears, "You were great, Lucy! Thank you!"

Sina kneeled down next to Lucy and Elizabeth, petting Lucy's head as well, "You sure saved us!"

Meanwhile, Gardenia suck to the ground, dangling her legs off the edge of the platform with a sigh, "Maaaaan… That's so uncool…"

Dexio noticed how downtrodden Gardenia was, and he sat down next to her and folded his hands in his lap, "We did good out there, Gardenia. You're a very clever battler."

Gardenia rested her chin in her palm, blowing her bangs out of her hair with a huff, "Thanks, but… I really thought we were gonna win, you know? I was so excited when I heard we were gonna be battling together… I wanted us to win!"

"You know… I was surprised when I was told you wanted to battle with me. I thought that someone as strong as you are would go after Sina, who's the better battler between us, so that you'd win. But you went after me. I thought I had to show off…" Dexio smiled nervously, scratching his cheek.

"You wanted to show off for me?!" Gardenia perked up at that, "I wanted to show off for you!"

Dexio stifled a chuckle, but he couldn't contain it any longer and he ended up bursting into laughter. Gardenia smiled when she saw him laugh, and she couldn't help but laugh too.

"I was hoping to get you out of your shell!" Gardenia smiled widely, closing her eyes, "You know what? Who cares that we lost! I don't! I got what I wanted! I just hoped that we'd become friends during this match today!"

Finally calming down after his outburst, Dexio still smiled at Gardenia and nodded, "Yeah, friends!" He stuck out his hand rather awkwardly; unsure of what to do in the situation, he thought he'd go for a handshake. Gardenia gladly took his hand for the handshake, not minding it at all.

Turner had since returned to the battlefield, and he stood in front of Elizabeth and Sina with two maids at his sides. "Congratulations, ladies. I bring good news. Due to your victory, you have both proven that you are worthy of rising in rank. Baroness Elizabeth, with these blue robes, I now name you Viscountess Elizabeth. Marchioness Sina, with these red robes, I now name you Duchess Sina. Congratulations. We can only hope that someday you will return and show your honor once again on the battlefield." He bowed, stepping away.

Hurriedly Elizabeth and Sina both changed into their new robes, and they hugged again.

"Finally, you're not in that godawful yellow cloak anymore!" Elizabeth teased.

"I told you that I just had to win, and look at me now!" Sina laughed. She looked Elizabeth over and grinned, "Blue fits you well… It matches the highlights in your hair!"

Elizabeth had to glance away, trying to hide her flushed cheeks, "Heh… and red matches that scarf you wear."

Gardenia watched that exchange with a prominent frown, eyes devoid of emotion, "I take it back. I'm so mad we lost again."

Dexio was watching as well, and he wasn't thrilled by it either, "...So am I."


	7. A Rude Awakening

Cynthia and Korrina both summoned their respective Lucario, the two Pokémon staring each other down upon being called forth. Korrina forced her cloak back to reveal her arms, and she extended her gloved hand outwards with the fingers of her other hand settling upon the Key Stone embedded in the glove.

"Normally this is where I describe how to Mega Evolve your Pokémon, but since you're a special case that's already done it before, I'll just skip right to the fun stuff!" White rays of light burst from the Key Stone on her hand as Korrina spoke, and that light reacted with Lucario's gauntlet.

Cynthia held her Key Stone between her index and middle finger when she hoisted her arm into the air, starting a similar transformation with her own Lucario, "I was never one for pre-battle drivel anyways. Let's go, Lucario!"

Both Lucario became shrouded in a brilliant light, becoming completely obscured from view. When the light finally disappeared in a bright, multicolored flash, both Lucario stood taller, adorned with more spikes and reddened limbs. Both stood calmly, and Cynthia let out a relieved exhale at the sight.

"Well, so far so good…" Cynthia smiled to herself upon seeing that her Lucario wasn't running berserk with power. She regained that competitive air to her, crossing her arms and lowering her chin.

"Not bad!" Korrina grinned, rubbing beneath her nose with her finger, "Though we may have to work on that dramatic flair to kick off the transformation…" She snickered with a wink.

Cynthia just shook her head with a laugh, "Really? _That's_ what I get nitpicked for?"

Korrina nodded, "Yup! Now come on! The challenger gets the first move! I gotta say, I'm stoked to see how someone of your caliber fights."

"What, haven't you battled Diantha before? We're not that different in strength, y'know." Cynthia tilted her head.

"Nah. Homegirl's always too busy for a battle. Kind of a shame, too. I've been gunning after that title of hers lately." Korrina ran a hand through her bangs, a twinkle in her eye, "I've always wanted to add 'Champion' to my name.."

Cynthia just quirked a brow, confused by Korrina's calling of Diantha 'homegirl' amongst other things, "I thought they called the Champion a 'Master' over here…"

"Only posh people call her that." Korrina said with a flippant wave of her hand, "In case you haven't noticed, we're practically in the countryside. We don't even speak the _regal_ language here."

"Huh." Cynthia just blinked a few times. Kalos sure seemed like a region with a fair share of problems and division amongst the people… Unsure of what to say, Cynthia just glanced over at Lucario, "...Aura Sphere."

Lucario was a bit surprised upon hearing an order in the midst of a conversation, but quickly it jumped back into the swing of things and focused its paws at its side. A blue orb of energy spawned in between its paws and Lucario rocketed it off towards the other Lucario's feet.

"Wha- hey!" Korrina huffed, "I thought we were talking! Dodge it and use Dragon Pulse!"

Korrina's Lucario took to the air to avoid the Aura Sphere, and it joined its paws together to send a red and black stream of aura down at Cynthia's Lucario.

"Flash Cannon!" Cynthia shouted, pointing at the Dragon Pulse jettisoning down towards them.

Cynthia's Lucario fired a silver ray of light that clashed with the multicolored beam of darkness, and the two attacks squared off in a power struggle with each beam trying to overpower the other. No clear winner was decided since the clashing energies soon resulted in a large explosion, blowing both Lucario back and causing a large cloud of smoke to linger in between them.

Korrina didn't looked fazed by the current stalemate, but she did want to speed things up a bit, "Bone Rush!"

Adjoining its hands and then pulling them apart, Korrina's Lucario created a large blue club in its hands before rushing after Cynthia's Lucario and thrashing it multiple times with the bone. The super-effective hit from a Mega Evolved Pokémon caused Cynthia's Lucario to sustain a lot of damage, and the final hit of Bone Rush rocketed Lucario backwards, causing it to skid painfully across the ground until it came to a stop.

Cynthia turned to where Lucario was, concerned but not in a panic, though her eyes did widen a bit at the sight when the dust cleared around her Lucario. There was a blue energy emanating off of its body, something which has never happened before. "Well, that's new.." Cynthia commented a bit dryly, quirking a brow.

"Under Mega Evolution, Lucario's aura receives a new power." Korrina explained, "The more damage Lucario sustains, the stronger its aura becomes, which powers up all of its moves."

"Interesting…" Cynthia shrugged her shoulders and focused back on the battle, "Extreme Speed!"

Lucario slowly pushed itself to its feet, and noticeably its red irises shrunk and began to glowed brightly. It raced after Korrina's Lucario, but instead of using Extreme Speed, Lucario's right leg shone with a vibrant blue while it leaped upwards and kneed Korrina's Lucario right in the stomach in a devastatingly powerful High Jump Kick move.

"No… That's not what I said!" Cynthia clenched her fists, angered by the insubordination, "I said Extreme Speed!"

Korrina narrowed her eyes, a concerned bead of sweat forming at her temple, "I had a feeling this would happen after all… Lucario! We have to end this now! Power-Up Punch!"

Korrina's Lucario reared its fist back as an orange energy enveloped it, and it ran after Cynthia's Lucario. However, Cynthia's Lucario acted again without orders, charging a crackling and unstable Aura Sphere that exploded right in Korrina's Lucario's face and knocked it down.

"No!" Korrina ran to her injured Lucario's side, and once she kneeled beside it, it reverted back to its base state.

Watching this play out in front of her, Cynthia looked at her Lucario with a mixture of concern and anger, "What are you doing..?!" She growled.

Her Lucario was snarling, its aura bursting around itself, growing mad under the effects of Mega Evolution. Soon Lucario turned towards the edge of the tower and jumped onto the rail, staring down below.

"Lucario, stop this!" Cynthia shouted as she ran towards her Lucario, but Lucario leaped off of the building and vanished into the forest below. Cynthia stopped at the railing and looked out over it, trying to find any trace of her Pokémon but to no avail. She pulled out another Pokéball, tossing it into the air to summon her Togekiss. She then turned towards Korrina, "I have to go find Lucario! Are you coming or not?"

Korrina shook her head, "I'll join you in a second! I have to make sure that mine is okay…" Her voice faltered slightly with that last part, but she regained her composure enough to say one last thing, "Go! I'll find you!"

Cynthia nodded, and she hopped on her Togekiss and flew into the forest below to search for her Lucario running rampant.

* * *

Once the spectators filed out of the Battle Château, Diantha, Augustine, and Malva all made their way down to the battlegrounds where everyone else was. Gardenia was sitting with her Tropius who had since regained consciousness, and Sina and Elizabeth were still chatting. Dexio walked over to Augustine once he spotted the professor.

"Dexio! Marvelous work out there!" Augustine smiled upon setting sights on Dexio, placing his hand on his assistant's shoulder, "You sure gave for one spectacular battle!"

Dexio nodded his head appreciatively with a grin, "Thank you, professor. My only regret is that I couldn't win for both my own and Gardenia's sake."

"Don't be too saddened about that! I'm sure you'll have the chance to become a Duke in the near future! In fact, it's very likely you'll be amongst many more potential combatants to challenge for the title very soon!" Augustine said to try and cheer Dexio up.

Raising an eyebrow, Dexio just tilted his head, "Huh?"

Diantha stepped in at that point, grinning excitedly, "I've discussed it with the chef de maison, and the requirements for joining the Château will be greatly laxed in a few days! Turner was surprisingly eager about it too. It seems as if he's happy to spread the chivalrous spirit to as much of Kalos as possible!"

"I'm glad to hear it." Dexio nodded again, "I know there was the discussion about it before. I think that's a big step forward."

"Isn't it? I've already come up with a few plans to keep this momentum going! I think I might actually be able to pull this reform off!" Diantha seemed absolutely ecstatic at that time with that wide smile on her face and the light in her eyes.

Just then, Sina looked over Elizabeth's shoulder at Diantha and waved her over, "Didi! So?! How'd we do?!"

Diantha joined the two other girls and settled in by Elizabeth's side, "Absolutely brilliant! I knew I was right in asking you all to be part of this! Although I can't take all the credit for this… Elizabeth was the one behind this fantastic matchup!"

Elizabeth stiffened at that and elbowed Diantha in the side, dropping her voice to a harsh whisper, "Easy, superstar! No one needs to know that!" Her eyes were wide and panicked too.

Sina brightened at that, "Really? You wanted to be my battle partner, Lizzy?"

"I-I only suggested it so that Gardenia could spend more time with Dexio! You see, she really likes making friends and she didn't think she got through to Dexio the first time they met, and…" Elizabeth gradually deflated the more she spoke much to Diantha's great confusion. Diantha only stared at Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow, trying to get to the bottom of her weird behavior.

"Aw, come on!" Sina laughed, throwing her arm around Elizabeth's shoulder only to cause the other woman to practically freeze, "You wanted to be with me just a little bit, right? I can't be the only one who wanted to be bezzie mates!"

"She has a point, Elizabeth. There's no need to be defensive about wanting to be friends with Sina!" Diantha smiled.

Elizabeth was about to say something to that but she got caught off by another voice suddenly speaking up.

"Well, that was fun, but I'm out." Malva waved halfheartedly as she walked past, not even looking behind her, "Later, superstar."

"Thank you for everything, Malva!" Diantha waved back, but eventually she dropped her hand, downtrodden when Malva didn't look back to see it, "I know we couldn't have done it without you, so… thank you, truly."

Malva didn't say anything in response to that; she just kept walking. Meanwhile, Elizabeth slowly turned towards Malva, an eyebrow raised.

"Now who is she…?" Elizabeth asked, interest in her voice.

"That's Malva. She's a friend of mine." Diantha explained, suddenly stopping herself, "…Wait. Why?"

A smile formed on Elizabeth's lips and she spun out of Sina's arms, making her way over to Malva, "Hey, wait up for just a second!"

Malva stopped and placed a hand on her hip, looking over her shoulder with a scowl, "What do you want?"

Everything clicked in Diantha's mind right at that moment, and immediately she had to shut that down, "Elizabeth, no! Don't even think about it!"

Gardenia watched as Elizabeth ran to catch up with Malva, and she just turned to Tropius with a sigh, "…Grass Knot."

Elizabeth's foot hooked on the vine that spawned in the ground and she faceplanted with an unpleasant thud. Malva just burst out into laughter at the sight, covering her eyes with a hand.

"Pfft! Hah! Wow, you have to be a special brand of idiotic to fall for that blasted trick _four_ times! Man… It almost gets funnier every time!" Malva turned away after that, still laughing residually from Elizabeth's tumble.

Slowly lifting her head, Elizabeth just winced as she watched Malva walk away, "…I don't know what hurt worse, the fall…or _that_."

Sina and Dexio walked over to pull Elizabeth to her feet, but Sina crossed her arms and stormed off after that, "Dexio! Professor! We're leaving!"

Dexio blinked a few times but he followed without a word. Augustine had to jog over to catch up, "Sina! What's the rush?"

"She thinks she can ditch me to go talk up some fireheaded freak? I don't think so!" Sina huffed, not slowing down for a second for the others.

"Don't you mean 'hotheaded?'" Augustine asked, eyes drifting over towards Malva, who had heard everything and had turned around at them.

"Really?" Malva threw her arms out to her sides, entirely unamused, "You hurt all two of my feelings, you know."

Perhaps Sina would feel bad if there wasn't a sarcastic tone to Malva's voice, but there was, so Sina just shrugged and kept walking, "Hmph. I mean, it's true…"

"Sina!" Dexio's eyes shot wide at that.

And the funny thing is, Malva was almost impressed.

Meanwhile, Diantha walked up to Elizabeth and placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot. Elizabeth just scratched her neck uneasily.

"You may not believe this, but Malva insulting you like that was her letting you down easily." Diantha began, voice low, "You're lucky Gardenia saved you. That could have been far worse for you if you actually tried."

Elizabeth sighed, deflating and hanging her head, "Fiiiiiine… Thanks, Gardenia…"

Gardenia just shook her head and recalled Tropius back into its Pokéball, "No one wants to see you embarrass yourself. It just gets sad."

"Okay, okay.. That's enough. I get it." Elizabeth let out a groan. She looked around then afterwards, realizing something in that moment, "Hey, where did Sina and Dexio go?"

"They left." Gardenia said, "Sina practically stormed out of here, actually…"

"Something tells me she was a little upset by how you ditched her to chase after Malva." Diantha pointed out, "The timing was fairly poor on your end, with all honesty. You ran off just as she said she wanted to be best friends. I'm sure that didn't resonate well with her."

Elizabeth shrunk a bit at that, scratching her neck with a guilty face. Gardenia only shook her head at her with a 'tsk tsk.' Elizabeth surprisingly didn't have anything smart to say back, so instead Diantha spoke up again.

"Well, it's of no use to us to fret over this for any longer." Diantha smiled slightly to try and lighten the mood, "I still owe the both of you for doing this favor for me, so why don't the both of you head back to your hotel and put on your best outfit and I'll show you a night out at one of Kalos's finest restaurants?"

Gardenia's eyes started sparkling at the thought, "That sounds perfect!"

Elizabeth only shrugged, "Might as well…"

"Great!" Diantha clapped her hands together, "I'll come to your hotel at seven! Be ready by then!"

"We'll be ready!" Gardenia nearly began bouncing from excitement, and she turned to Elizabeth, "Right?!"

Elizabeth smiled a bit too, "Yeah. See you then, superstar."

* * *

It was terribly inconvenient for there to be a wide area of forest right beside the Tower of Mastery, because Cynthia had lost nearly all trace of her Lucario inside of it. She searched on the ground while Togekiss kept an aerial view of the forest in the sky. There was nothing even hinting to Lucario's location, and somehow Cynthia ended up on a path as she walked through the forest. She kept following the path, hoping that it would turn up some sort of clue as to Lucario's whereabouts.

As Cynthia walked however, she heard a voice calling for her, and she turned around to see Korrina skating up to her with two base form Lucario at her side.

"Cynthia!" Korrina shouted, skidding to a halt in front of her, "Any luck yet?"

Cynthia shook her head, "None." She admitted with a defeated sigh, "I see you brought backup."

"Don't worry, my Lucario got this! My grandfather healed my one Lucario and I went and got my other one just in case! Plus, we can have them search for your Lucario's aura so we can find him faster! Just follow me!" Korrina clenched her fists, trying to stay positive in this sort of situation. Her two Lucario closed their eyes and stood still for a moment, and the appendages on their heads glowed blue. Soon they both turned in the same direction and started running, and Korrina skated after them, "Let's go!"

Nodding, Cynthia ran after Korrina through the forest. The more ground they covered, the more they started to see ravaged parts of the forest, such as charred grass and uprooted trees. Cynthia only clenched her jaw at the sight; she couldn't believe that Lucario could have done this, and she couldn't believe how despite their bond, Lucario still lost control just as Garchomp did before. Diantha made Mega Evolution look so easy… Why could Cynthia not get it to work?

Soon they were able to hear Lucario's angered snarls off in the distance, and Cynthia took up the lead at this point as she ran up to meet her Lucario. Lucario had been firing off unstable Aura Sphere attacks at random, destroying trees and scaring off the other Pokémon. The whole time, Lucario had been twitching and growling in anger, but there was something else to its demeanor that stood out to Cynthia: Lucario was in pain. However, when Cynthia reached her Lucario, she suddenly found herself unsure of what to say or do, and she practically froze. When a small Eevee tried to make its escape from all of the chaos, its escape route got cut off by a falling tree, and that Eevee was then face to face with Lucario. Lucario gathered another orb of blue in its hands, charging an Aura Sphere move, but before Lucario could fire it, Cynthia finally found her will to action and she rushed over to the Eevee and kneeled in front of it, shielding it from Lucario.

"Stop this! Can't you see that you're scaring all of the Pokémon here?!" Cynthia asked of her Lucario, staring it down as it continued to charge its aura at its side, "We've worked so hard for this, and we can still pull this off! You just have to calm down for me, alright? Just calm down… and we can work through this…" She held out her hand, trying to set Lucario at ease.

There was a moment where Lucario looked to be considering what Cynthia said, but the pain and madness driving Lucario overpowered any other feeling, and it launched the Aura Sphere right at Cynthia. Cynthia turned around and picked up the Eevee and held it close to her chest to protect it, but the Aura Sphere never hit her as she soon would come to realize, since one of Korrina's Lucario jumped in to stave off the attack.

"Its aura is too strong." Korrina explained, staring at Cynthia's Lucario, "Lucario hasn't learned how to control the increased aura powers of Mega Evolution. When its aura grew because of the damage it sustained, Lucario couldn't keep itself under control. The same thing happened when I first tried Mega Evolution… I guess it wasn't just my problem." Gradually, she came to be pointing at Cynthia's Lucario, and Korrina glanced at the two of her own, "Power-Up Punch! We're ending this!"

Both of Korrina's Lucario pulled back their arms, causing an orange energy to swirl by their fists. They both charged at Cynthia's Lucario and sandwiched the Mega Lucario in the middle with the dual punches. This finally seemed to be enough, as Cynthia's Lucario immediately collapsed, reverting back to its normal form once hitting the ground. Cynthia's expression fell at the sight; she didn't want to see her Lucario hurt, but she knew that it was one of her only options to quell it from its rage. Setting the Eevee down at last, Cynthia made her way to her fallen Lucario's side and placed her hand on its shoulder, letting out a saddened sigh. The Eevee, strangely enough, followed Cynthia without her seeing.

"We'll find a way to control this…" Cynthia said softly, "Nothing's ever stopped us before. We won't let this stop us now."

Korrina watched Cynthia with a frown, and then she turned to her one Lucario, "Heal Pulse."

Korrina's Lucario adjoined its hands and directed them towards Cynthia's fainted Lucario, beginning to let out a rainbow-colored series of waves on the other Pokémon. Slowly Cynthia's Lucario's eyes began to flutter open and it regained consciousness, yet it still retained some of its injuries and couldn't move much.

"Thank you." Cynthia said, "I'm...sorry this happened."

"Don't be." Korrina tried to force a smile, "It's a process. You'll be able to pull this off. I know it."

Cynthia flashed a grin back, but it vanished very quickly, "Hopefully… I just… I thought we were ready…"

Korrina glanced down at the ground, and she removed her helmet and let it fall on the grass, "I… I think this is my fault. I knew you weren't ready, but I still let you go through with it."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Cynthia stared at Korrina with a look of disbelief, "You _knew?_ "

Korrina nodded, "Yeah. I know you tell me that everyone's stupid when they're a teenager like me, but I like to think that because I'm the Successor, I've become a bit more wiser than most when they're my age. From my experiences when I first Mega Evolved Lucario a few years ago, and from seeing many other people go through this training… I've gotten pretty good at spotting people's problems. And you… You're an open book."

There was an unease in Cynthia's expression after that revelation, and she wondered if she should take offense to that comment, "...What do you mean by that?"

"I'm kinda hoping you don't maim me for having this opinion, but… it's just what I think is the problem here." Korrina began, drawing in a breath to steel herself and clenching her fists, "You're arrogant. Lucario takes after you in that aspect."

"Excuse me?!" Cynthia's eyes shot wide at that and immediately she grew defensive.

"Well… Maybe arrogant isn't the right word…" Korrina winced a bit but she eventually regained her traction, "My point is that there's a confidence that's in you both. Undefeated for who knows how long? Reigning Champion for three years? Saviors of the world twice over? That'd be enough to make anyone a bit egotistical. You both are sure of yourselves, almost too much so. You have experience and legitimate reasons to be confident and prideful, but it's also your weakness… Both you and Lucario share a bond. Your hearts are one… but your spirits are different. I think Lucario has more confidence and pride than you do, and while that's fine otherwise, during Mega Evolution where every sense and feeling is heightened… it can get a little extreme. Lucario disobeyed you because it was too confident in itself, because it thought it knew better than you did. It ran off because it thought it could fix this on its own. You're gonna need to work on balancing your two egos in battle under Mega Evolution, or else you're not gonna be able to control it."

While Cynthia was defensive and offended at first, gradually she began to relax the more Korrina clarified. She could see Korrina's point even if Cynthia was slightly ashamed of it, and she turned to her Lucario, who was feeling similarly. Cynthia looked back at Korrina after reflected on it for a moment longer, letting out a sigh, "So where do we go from here?"

Korrina grinned and slammed her fist into her open palm, "Guess we're just gonna have to beat some humility back into you both!"

* * *

The end of the Girls' Night action between Diantha, Elizabeth, and Gardenia took shape in a walk of shame, with Diantha and Elizabeth both dragging a loopy Gardenia back to the hotel. They had fun, sure, but they got Gardenia drunk again and they had to take care of that. Gardenia had both her arms looped around Diantha and Elizabeth's shoulders since they were dragging her off, but mostly Elizabeth was the one keeping Gardenia upright. Diantha was never good with holding heavy objects.

"I thought we limited her to just one…" Diantha said with a sigh, glancing over at Elizabeth.

"We did. That's the sad part." Elizabeth shook her head.

Gardenia lifted her head at that and smiled groggily, "Well, that was fun… I think I'm gonna take a nap now…"

"Not while we're walking…" Diantha whined, struggling beneath Gardenia's weight.

Elizabeth turned her head towards Diantha, incredulous, "You're barely even holding her, superstar. What's your problem?"

"She's so heavy…"

"Moooom…" Gardenia muttered, narrowing her eyes at Diantha, "That was mean..."

Diantha let out another sigh, "Stop calling me that, Gardenia. I'm not your mother."

Elizabeth sneered at that, "Says the woman who gave us a rules list when you picked us up. You're not fooling anyone, superstar. You're as strict as a mother. No wonder Gardenia keeps mixing you up with one."

"You need to stop calling me that too, Elizabeth." Diantha furrowed her eyebrows, "The only people who call me 'superstar' with such disdain in their voices only do it to patronize and ridicule me. I don't appreciate it coming from you."

"Come to think of it… Liz has been nothing but moody the entire time she's been here." Gardenia swayed her head back and forth, pursing her lips in thought, "I don't think she likes us at all."

"Don't listen to her." Elizabeth muttered, "She's a little loopy."

Diantha shook her head, "No, Gardenia's got a point. You have been nothing but hostile to everyone since you've gotten here. Between me, your sister, and Gardenia, you haven't been able to go one conversation without sneering at one of us."

Elizabeth only rolled her eyes at that. Gardenia started leaning more into Diantha's side, much to Diantha's chagrin, "Yeah! You're right, Diantha!" Gardenia huffed, "It's like being here made her realize how miserable she is, and now she's taking it out on all of us!"

After a second of tense silence, Elizabeth let out an irritated growl and she unhooked Gardenia's arm from around her and shoved Gardenia towards Diantha, "She's your problem now. I don't have to stay here and put up with this. You're on your own, superstar." Turning sharply on her heel, Elizabeth stormed off in the opposite direction, leaving Gardenia and Diantha on their own.

Gardenia stumbled into Diantha's side, and Diantha staggered slightly to try and keep themselves both upright. She turned towards Elizabeth as she walked away, trying to step after her but Gardenia weighed her down and kept her from walking off, "Elizabeth, wait! Enough of this!" Diantha called after Elizabeth, "You don't even have anywhere to go! Just get back here!"

Elizabeth glanced down at the time on her phone, and she clenched her jaw and muttered to herself, "I have one place I can go…"

Diantha let out a defeated exhale as she watched Elizabeth storm off but quickly her focus had to go back to keeping Gardenia standing, which Diantha was struggling with, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" Gardenia pulled away from Diantha and brushed herself off, "I'm good to walk on my own. I got this. Don't worry about me. I'd be more worried about what Liz is getting herself up to…"

Nodding, Diantha turned to the direction she saw Elizabeth headed last, "I'd go after her, but she'll be fine in the city at night. I'm not leaving you to head back on your own. I'll deal with Elizabeth after I make sure you're back at the hotel."

Gardenia smiled a bit at that, "Thanks, Diantha. And, uh… I'm sorry about Liz… She's always been a bit short-tempered, but normally it isn't this bad."

"Don't apologize for her. It's not your problem." Diantha waved that off and began to walk, sure to keep Gardenia close to her side, "Though, I would like to ask you a few things about her… I want to see if I can get to the bottom of what's been causing this."

Following Diantha's lead, Gardenia nodded and walked, trying to keep her balance as best as she could, "Yeah… I'll tell you what I can. I think I may even know where she's going…"


	8. Hardships and Setbacks

Cynthia threw Lucario's Pokéball forward to summon him to the training grounds, and nearly as soon as Lucario landed, he started to growl at Cynthia. Rolling her eyes, Cynthia then turned to Korrina, "That's the second time he's been doing that with me since the whole Mega Evolution thing happened! What the hell's going on?"

"That seems like a problem you and Lucario should discuss between yourselves, not me." Korrina motioned towards Lucario, "This is what I was talking about before. You two need to get on a similar wavelength, not just think you have it all handled. Try it."

Letting out a sigh, Cynthia approached Lucario and kneeled by it so they'd be more so on eye level, "Alright. Would you mind telling me what's bothering you? The growling feels a bit hostile. I'd like that to stop."

Lucario did respect that and he did stop growling, then he pointed at Cynthia's hair with his paw. Cynthia just looked confused.

"What?" Cynthia frowned, "...Do you not like the style? That kind of hurts, you know. My hair's been like this for years… Oh, do you think I need to do something different with it? I suppose seeing it this way all the time can get old…"

Lucario shook his head and placed a paw to its face in exasperation. Soon he walked around so he'd be behind Cynthia, and he reached into her hair to pull out an Eevee. He then held the Eevee out for her to take.

"Oh god… How long has that been in there?" Cynthia reached back into her hair, a little embarrassed that an Eevee managed to camp out in there for so long without being noticed. She then took the Eevee into her arms and suddenly everything clicked, "You're that Eevee from yesterday, aren't you? What are you doing in my hair?"

The Eevee just let out a happy cry of its name, snuggling itself into Cynthia's arms.

"...Oh boy." Cynthia said beneath her breath, glancing down at Eevee. Seeing as Eevee was starting to get a bit needy, Cynthia started to scratch its head, and Eevee started to purr contently.

Korrina wound up letting out a giggle, "I think it likes you!" She teased with a sing-song voice.

"You think?" Cynthia then turned back to Lucario, "So, you sensed that this Eevee was hiding away in my hair and you tried to warn me, huh?" When Lucario nodded at that, Cynthia grinned his way, "Well, thanks for looking out for me. I think this one's harmless, though. No need to worry."

Clapping her hands together, Korrina smiled widely and winked at Cynthia, "See? Now that's what I'm talking about! It doesn't hurt to reach out to each other for help! You just gotta learn to find that balance between both of your strengths! Compromise!"

Cynthia smiled back and nodded, "Yeah… I think we can do that, right?" She turned back to her Lucario, who was staring at her intently, "...What did I do wrong this time?"

Lucario took a step closer but then started to avoid eye contact. Cynthia seemed confused again.

Korrina leaned closer and motioned with her head towards Lucario, "Someone's a bit jealous, I think…"

Realizing how she had been giving so much of her attention towards Eevee in that moment, Cynthia smiled a bit and reached out to pet Lucario's head, "Aww… Don't worry, there's enough to go around for you too."

Lucario smiled at that and closed his eyes. Korrina placed her hand on Cynthia's shoulder and grinned too, "You guys are making so much progress already!"

"So does that mean we're ready to try this again?" Cynthia asked, turning to Korrina.

Pursing her lips, Korrina thought it over for a second but ultimately shook her head, "No, not yet. I think you two could both use a rest. It's late, and Mega Evolution is draining to the Pokémon and Trainer both. We can try again later. We don't want either of you fainting because of exhaustion."

Though disappointed at first, Cynthia did see the logic in that eventually, "That's fair, I suppose. I nearly passed out the first time I did it, admittedly."

"Yeah. But don't worry." Korrina flashed a smile, "You'll have your chance to get this right."

Cynthia grinned back and nodded, and then she turned her gaze to Lucario, "I hope so."

In that moment, Eevee was getting a bit angry that it wasn't getting any attention, so it let out a needy cry. Cynthia looked down at the Eevee in her one arm and then back at Lucario, who she was still petting, "…I don't have enough hands for this." She said in defeat, having no idea what to do.

Sensing Cynthia's brief moment of panic, Lucario took the Eevee out of Cynthia's arm and held it himself so that he'd be the one giving it attention. That way Cynthia could still pet Lucario and Eevee would still be getting the attention it needed. Eevee looked happy no matter who was loving it as long as it got noticed, so it seemed to be working.

"Aww. You're all so cute." Korrina giggled, closing her eyes with a wide smile.

"Oh, please…" Cynthia huffed, "We are anything but." Lucario voiced his agreement to that with a gruff, pointed grunt. Eevee, however, just squealed its name in protest. Cynthia grinned a bit nervously, not wanting to anger Eevee any more than she already had, "…Okay, maybe just a little bit."

Korrina and Cynthia couldn't contain their laughter after that.

* * *

Elizabeth unbuttoned the cuffs of her blouse and rolled up the sleeves as she walked, visibly irritated as she was doing so. She grumbled under her breath from the residual anger brought on by that conversation with Diantha, though eventually she grew levelheaded enough to consider just what she was doing and where she was headed. She remembered very little about Lumiose City's infrastructure and layout, so she had to wrack her brain to figure out where to go. Some far-off memory in the back of mind told her that where she wanted to go was directly off of l'Avenue Floréal, so she just had to find that street. She couldn't remember its English name, but she couldn't be bothered. Elizabeth just needed to get there.

Eventually Elizabeth found the road she was looking for– Vernal Avenue, as she came to find out –and she followed it until the southern boulevard at the end of the road. Augustine's lab right in front of her, and she glanced down at herself before heading it. She still looked dolled up from her night out, and she gritted her teeth at the memories. Sliding the suspenders off her shoulders and letting them just hang off of where they were clipped to her pants, Elizabeth untucked her button-down shirt and undid the buttons. She tied the bottoms of the open shirt together underneath her chest and then used a hair tie on her wrist to pull back her hair. At least that way she wouldn't look so fancy and draw too many questions as to where she was coming from. Since that was out of the way, Elizabeth finally went inside after exhaling a sigh to steel herself.

The lab was fairly empty at that hour, though there was still activity. Elizabeth spotted Dexio on the ground floor as soon as she walked in doing some organizing behind the counter, though he was alone and without his other half. He heard her walk in, and he looked up from his work to spot Elizabeth standing there.

"Oh! It's… you. Hello, uh… _you_." Dexio greeted with a moment's hesitation, smiling.

Elizabeth's expression fell and she narrowed her eyes, "Don't tell me you've forgotten my name…"

Dexio shook his head at that, quick to amend what he said before, "N-No! I'm just afraid to say your name. I feel like I would pronounce it wrong. It's not a name with sounds we say a lot."

Seeing how she was a bit harsh in her statement, Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed, "No, it's fine… I'm sorry. You can call me whatever you want as long as it works for you. Liz, Liza, Beth… it doesn't really matter."

Dexio nodded, "Right. So, Liz… What are you doing here? It's late."

"Yeah… Well, I needed to go someplace, and I really only know of this one, so…" Elizabeth trailed off with a shrug.

"Ah. Okay." Dexio nodded again, and he pointed to the ceiling, "Sina is upstairs, by the way. I'm going upstairs after I'm finished what I'm doing here too."

Elizabeth smiled a bit at that, "Thanks, Dexio. I'll see you up there." With a wave goodbye, Elizabeth headed to the elevator and stepped inside. She didn't quite know what floor she was looking for, but she had time, so she just hit the button for the floor she visited the last time she was there. Elizabeth got lucky, and she spotted Sina sitting with her feet propped up on her desk and playing with something in her hand. Sina nearly both shot out of her chair and dropped what she was holding when she heard the elevator open, visibly embarrassed when she saw Elizabeth and trying to seem preoccupied with work.

"Oh, hey Lizzy! You, uh… caught me in the middle of doing some paperwork!" Sina smiled nervously and took a random stack of papers and made them tidy, "I'm working."

Elizabeth grinned with a knowing tint in her eye, "Of course you were. You know, I do the same exact thing at work too, and I'm the boss. We've all been there."

Sina coughed out an awkward laugh, and hurriedly she tried to change the subject, "I didn't expect to see you here tonight! I thought you would be out celebrating or something since you won."

"I was… but I stopped." Elizabeth rubbed the back of her neck at that, training her gaze on the ground, "Oh, and speaking of that match, I thought I should, uh, y'know… apologize for the Malva thing. That was rude. I shouldn't have done that."

Grinning deviously, Sina just shrugged and leaned forward, "Well, karma acted pretty quickly on you afterwards. That helped me calm down pretty fast." Her smile slowly mellowed, and she glanced Elizabeth over in concern, "Why did you stop celebrating? You didn't strike me as the type to pass up on a party."

Elizabeth let out a sigh and sat down in front of Sina on the desk, "I kind of… stormed off."

Sina furrowed her eyebrows at that, "Stormed off, huh?"

"Yeah…" Elizabeth glanced away, "Diantha and Gardenia were getting on my nerves after they ganged up on me. I couldn't take it anymore, so I just left."

"So Gardenia wasn't kidding when she said none of you got along…" Sina said with a saddened tone, leaning back into her chair.

Elizabeth let out a shaky huff, crossing her arms, "It's not like I don't try… but I don't think they get it."

Sina hummed in agreement at that, and she stood up and plastered on a smile, "Well, you're here now, so we might as well have some fun! I remember hearing that you've slacked off work playing video games before… How'd you like to do that with me now?"

Elizabeth's mood visibly improved with that suggestion and she smiled widely, "Sounds good to me. What have you got?"

"Do you want a fighting game or a racing game?" Sina started walking towards the screens on the other side of the floor to get set up, bubbling with excitement.

"Oo, fighting game." Elizabeth snickered. In that moment, the elevator dinged and Dexio stepped off, "Hey, and Dexio can join us!"

"Yeah! Dexio! Come on, we're playing video games! Join us!" Sina couldn't contain her laughter with that.

Dexio seemed a bit startled at first, but eventually he nodded and grew just as cheery, "Okay!"

* * *

"I got the ratings report from that match at the Château yesterday." Malva held up a folder containing the files before dropping the folder in front of Diantha, "Knock yourself out."

While Diantha would have appreciated a kinder gesture, she still picked up the folder without any complaints, "...Thank you, Malva. Have you read them yet?"

"Yeah." Malva admitted tersely with a sigh, crossing her arms.

Pausing for a moment, Diantha waited for the clarification that never came, "...And?"

Malva only shrugged, "Nothing spectacular but nothing terrible, I suppose. For a couple of outsiders and two nerds, it did surprisingly well." A sly look crossed her features in that moment, "Of course, they're no Baccer Championship ratings."

Diantha let herself smile at that while she opened the folder and read through some of the data in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked it over, but she wasn't too bothered otherwise. Glancing up at Malva, Diantha thought she'd ask someone better versed in television consumerism about the ratings, "Would you say this was a failure?"

"No. Though I don't think it's enough. Surely you knew that." Malva said easily, "Showing off is one thing, but getting people interested in doing it for themselves is something entirely different. You're making progress in opening up the Château for everyone, but you still need more. Maybe the Champion herself has to put in a little effort, wouldn't you say?" She smirked while saying such, quirking an eyebrow playfully.

"You're right." Diantha closed her eyes, "Would you mind calling the rest of the Elite Four to my chamber? I'd like to include the rest of them in on this conversation."

Malva waved her hand and turned around, "If you insist…" She sighed before walking off.

A few moments later, Malva had returned with Siebold, Drasna, and Wikstrom in tow. Siebold stood silently near the door, Wikstrom marched right up to Diantha and stood at attention, and Drasna simply stood a few feet behind Wikstrom with a sweet smile on her face. Malva was near the door as well, though she paid Siebold absolutely no heed.

"You summoned us, Champion Diantha?" Wikstrom asked in part as the pseudo-leader of the Elite Four.

Diantha nodded, "Yes, I wanted to include you in the discussion I was having with Malva earlier."

"So… Does that mean we did something wrong and you are to scold us...?" Siebold said in a passive drawl, letting out a sigh, "Why else would you be having a conversation with Malva...?"

"Come now, Siebold. There will be nothing of the sort." Diantha waved that off, "This is on the subject of the League reforms. Malva has been a great asset so far in making all of this possible…" She trailed off, looking to Malva to contribute somehow. When Diantha saw that Malva was blowing her off by looking at her phone, Diantha's expression fell and she continued on her own, "I was hoping to hear the rest of the Elite Four's suggestions as to what we should do."

"Schedule more challenges, of course!" Drasna chimed in, as gleeful as ever.

Wikstrom nodded, "It has been quite some time since our last challenge period, after all. Opening up for challenges should inspire some of Kalos's Trainers."

"Yes! And we can do some exhibition matches between us Four as well! They used to always draw a crowd." Drasna look surely ecstatic.

"Do not tell me I have to fight this one…" Siebold looked over towards Malva with a grimace, his voice still dripping with that monotonous drawl. Malva's only response was a scoff since she did not tear her attention away from her phone.

Diantha smiled a bit at that, thought she covered her lips with her hand to hide it, "You don't have to fight anyone you don't want to, Siebold. It is entirely your choice. I don't want to make someone do anything they are uncomfortable in doing."

"Thank you for your consideration." Siebold jested, closing his eyes.

With that, Diantha turned her attention to the entirety of the Elite Four, "I would be happy to hold more challenges. I have been itching to get back to battling. I can schedule the next one as soon as possible if that's fine with everyone."

"Of course!" Drasna gleamed, clapping her hands together.

"As you wish, Champion Diantha." Wikstrom bowed.

Siebold rolled his neck, "I'll do it, fine…"

All eyes fell on Malva after that, searching for and awaiting her answer. Eventually Malva let out a sharp exhale and spun on her heel, pushing the doors open, "I'll be taking no part in this." She declared, leaving.

It was silent ever since the doors closed behind Malva, the slam echoing throughout the room. Diantha felt a pain rise in her chest and she flinched when the doors closed, but she mustered up the strength to run out the doors behind Malva. Luckily, the rest of the Four didn't follow her, so Diantha had the chance to confront Malva about this sudden turn of events at once.

"Malva!" Diantha cried after her, getting Malva to at least stop in her tracks. Diantha came to a stop as well, and she placed a hand to her chest, "Wait just a moment, please…"

Malva glanced over her shoulder at Diantha with narrowed eyes, "If you're looking to change my mind, you're going to fail." She warned in a low voice.

"I just… I don't get it! I thought you were on my side!" Diantha's voice wavered despite her desperate attempts to keep it steady, "Why are you suddenly pulling out now?"

Turning away, Malva let out a sigh, "Something's come up. I'll be away for a while. I have no time to play a part in your game, Diantha. Simple as that."

Despite herself, Diantha scoffed and smiled dryly to herself, "Really? Now, of all times, something just had to come up? Sure, Malva… At least have the guts to tell me the truth… I thought we were close enough for me to deserve that much."

Suddenly Malva spun back around and walked right up to Diantha, staring her right in the face. There was a fire burning in her eyes behind her glasses, "Don't you _dare_ lecture me about guts!" She growled, "I told you the truth! There's something I have to take care of!"

Diantha stood her ground against Malva, though she did have to swallow down the nervousness inside of her from having Malva stare daggers into her, "What is with you, Malva…?" Diantha asked with a quiet voice, shaking her head, "One moment you're doing anything you can to help me, and the next… you're using every excuse to avoid me. You make no sense… What game are you trying to play?"

"You always think I'm playing some game…" Malva clenched her fists at her sides, "Why must you scrutinize my every move?"

"Because nothing about your actions add up. It's like you only are on the side that brings you the most amusement, and once you do your damage, you step back to watch everything crash and burn. I only wish I knew why you were so determined to help me if you were just going to quit so early on…" Diantha sighed, glancing away.

Malva tilted her head at that, tightening her jaw, "You don't think I can be generous at all either. I did want to see you pull this off, Diantha… but I know you won't believe that, though. And you know… I didn't like being pulled away like this at first… I did want to stay and help you, but now… now I'll live with it after everything you've said. You're on your own for this one, superstar. Let's see how you hold a League challenge with only three of the League." Turning around one last time, Malva stormed out of the building, leaving Diantha in the dust.

Diantha lowered her head once Malva walked off, sighing heavily. She wiped at the corner of her eyes and sniffled once before pushing everything she felt out of her mind and heading back into her chamber. Siebold, Drasna, and Wikstrom all looked to Diantha once she stepped inside, and Diantha couldn't meet any of their gazes. Instead, she walked through them and waved them away.

"We'll hold exhibition battles between myself and you three, but that's it. No challenges." Diantha said with a heavy voice, still refusing to look at any of them, "You're all free to go…"

Siebold looked hesitant to leave, but a stern look from Wikstrom was enough to make Siebold obey Diantha's wishes and head out. Drasna was the last to leave, and for once, there was no cheery smile on her face.

"Let us know if you need anything of us." She said in goodbye, "We'll be happy to provide."

Diantha couldn't bring herself to reply, and she simply went to the chair in the back of her chamber and sat down on it once she was alone. In the solitude of her chamber, Diantha leaned forward and placed a hand over her eyes, unable to stave off the emotions she felt by Malva's betrayal any longer as the tears began to fall.

* * *

Eevee popped out of Cynthia's hair and climbed up onto her shoulder, earning only a tired laugh from Cynthia, "I don't think this one is ever going to leave me alone…" She said to Korrina, scratching behind Eevee's ear.

"You made a friend. You could use some more of those." Korrina simply said back, crossing her arms with a blank face.

Cynthia shot Korrina a strange look because of that comment, slightly offended, "...Anyway… The match…?"

"Way ahead of you there!" Korrina threw a Pokéball out to summon her one Lucario, and instantly she Mega Evolved it.

Cynthia did the same and called out her Lucario, but she waited a second before she pulled out her Key Stone, "You ready for this?" When Lucario nodded, Cynthia then Mega Evolved it as well.

"You can have the first move, challenger!" Korrina exclaimed with a big smile, but it soon faded when she leaned forward and placed her hand on her knee to support herself. Narrowing her eyes, Korrina carefully studied Cynthia's Lucario as she toyed with a minimized Pokéball behind her back, "I hope it won't have to come to this… but I've been burned before for being too hopeful…" She whispered to herself, her grip tightening on the Pokéball.

"Extreme Speed!" Cynthia ordered, pointing at Korrina's Lucario.

Cynthia's Lucario practically vanished from the naked eye's view, but it soon reappeared right in front of Korrina's Lucario where it threw a sharp roundhouse kick at the other Pokémon at an unfathomable speed. However, Korrina's Lucario was able to block it with one of its arms, though that didn't come without its painful drawbacks.

"Power-Up Punch." Korrina instructed with a calmer tone than usual in her battles, for her focus was too trained on Cynthia and her Lucario to get fired up by the fight. She had to be the Successor in that moment, not the Gym Leader.

Korrina's Lucario took advantage of the close-quarters between itself and the other Lucario, so it reeled back its free arm and surrounded it with an orange energy before using that to punch Cynthia's Lucario square in the stomach. Cynthia's Lucario rebounded backwards a few meters and tumbled to the ground, and shakily it started to push itself up to its feet.

Cynthia's jaw clenched as she saw her Lucario try to stand back up. A small amount of blue energy began to emanate from off its body in its Aura power. "Easy… Don't fight it…"

Lucario placed its paws to its head and closed its eyes. Shaking its head a few times, it seemed to have straightened itself out enough, so it focused back on Korrina's Lucario and kept a level head.

"There we go…" Cynthia allowed herself to grin briefly, "Aura Sphere!"

Gathering its paws by its side, Cynthia's Lucario charged up its aura into a concentrated orb, but the second it was about to send it blasting off, the aura began to surge and grow unstable. Lucario growled from the malfunctioning aura and wound up sending it rocketing towards a tree off to the side. Then Lucario clutched its head again, letting out more grunts from the pain.

Cynthia just balled her fists at the sight, "I said not to fight it!"

"Hey, easy!" Korrina narrowed her eyes, "What did I say about you two?! You won't get anywhere if either of you think you're the only one that knows what they're doing!"

It was obvious that Cynthia wasn't thrilled about that kind of thinking, but eventually she stepped back, "...Fine. Lucario can handle this how he wants to. He's the one that's in pain, after all. He can decide how he'll deal with this."

"Well, at least that's progress…" Korrina had to admit. She figured the next step was to add more pressure, so she glanced at her Lucario, "Bone Rush!"

Korrina's Lucario forged a blue club in its hands and it sped after Cynthia's Lucario, thrashing it once close enough with multiple blows of the club. Each hit caused the aura around Cynthia's Lucario to grow, and the final hit knocked Cynthia's Lucario back to the ground.

"You can do this, Lucario." Cynthia tried to phrase that carefully as to not seem like she's giving an order, "Do what you have to."

When Cynthia's Lucario pushed itself to its feet again and opened its eyes, its pupils were shrunken and glowing a vibrant, villainous red. It charged Korrina's Lucario and kneed it right in the stomach with its High Jump Kick move, clearly fueled by rage and pain in its actions instead of rational thought.

Korrina watched as her Lucario went flying after that move, and she gritted her teeth and threw that Pokéball she had been holding, "Alright, that's enough!" After her second Lucario appeared from that Pokéball, Korrina hoisted her Mega Glove into the air and clenched her fist as it glowed white, "I'm putting a stop to this!"

"Now, hold on!" Cynthia threw her arm out to her side, "A second Mega Evolution? That shouldn't even be possible!"

"I'm a bit special, and right now I can use all the extra help I can get against a rampant Champion's Mega Lucario!" Korrina finished with the second Mega Evolution, now having two Mega Lucario standing in front of Cynthia's one. She let out a long, harsh breath when the process finished, trying to keep herself level after using so much of her energy for two Mega Evolutions.

" _I said hold on!_ " Cynthia shouted louder than before, growing frustrated, "Don't stop this yet! Shouldn't I be given the chance to try and get through to him this time?! Stand down!"

Korrina narrowed her eyes at Cynthia because of that, "Do you really think that's a smart move, to reason with him now? He can barely stop twitching and writhing from the pain he's feeling from Mega Evolution. Don't you want his suffering to end and for him to be powered down? He's not the only one that's suffering, either." Korrina pointed at Cynthia's shoulder, "Don't tell me you haven't noticed… Eevee's been cowering ever since it heard your Lucario start growling just like before."

Now that it was brought to her attention, Cynthia glanced over to see that Eevee was burying itself back into her hair, and Cynthia started to realize how she could feel Eevee's trembling and soft whining. Her face softened in sympathy and she petted Eevee to try and calm it, but her gaze went back to her Lucario, "I'll protect Eevee. Don't worry about her. But I won't let you stop my Lucario! You won't be laying a hand on him! And you…" She turned to her Lucario and stepped in front of it with her arm extended outward to cut Lucario off from the other two, "You're not hurting anyone either."

Lucario growled even more, its rage becoming directed at its trainer instead of its opponents. Cynthia only narrowed her eyes at the sight.

"You're not going anywhere until we work through this." Cynthia dropped her voice into a low threatening tone, staring right into Lucario's glowing red eyes, "I know that we're trying to compromise on who gives the orders here, but there are times where you _have_ to listen to me, Lucario! Now is one of those times! Please, just stop trying to fight it! You have nothing to be afraid of! I'm right here, aren't I?!"

Her words appeared to have been getting through to Lucario for a brief moment, but it was clear that the oppressive aura and pain was still too much of a driving force in its head so Lucario only faltered for a moment in its rage. Then Lucario directed its anger back at Cynthia again, lashing out by jumping forward and sinking its fangs into Cynthia's arm blocking its way. Cynthia gritted her teeth and grimaced at the pain, but she still held her ground.

"Lucario…! Stop this…!" Cynthia growled through her teeth.

Korrina's eyes went wide when Lucario had attacked Cynthia, but quickly she schooled her features and looked to her two Lucario, "Get out of the way, Cynthia! You won't stop me from ending it this time! Dual Sphere, let's go!"

Both of Korrina's Mega Lucario charged an Aura Sphere attack by their sides at that command, causing the aura to grow to masses even larger than themselves. Peering over her shoulder, Cynthia just narrowed her eyes before focusing back on her Lucario, who was still latched onto her arm.

"This isn't like you!" Cynthia said in a last resort, meeting Lucario's enraged eyes, "You wouldn't hurt a fly out of malice! You avoid violence outside of friendly battles the best you can unless the situation absolutely calls for it! Are you really going to go against that now?!"

Lucario's gaze went to Cynthia in that moment, and again it seemed as if her words were getting through to Lucario. Then Lucario noticed movement in Cynthia's hair, and using its aura powers, it sensed Eevee curling up into Cynthia's neck and quivering from fear. This caused Lucario to stop growling in shock as it realized what it was doing, and suddenly its grip on Cynthia's arm laxed and its jaw went slack. Blinking a few times, Lucario's irises returned to a normal size and it looked over Cynthia's shoulder at Korrina.

Korrina's Lucario, after charging up their Aura Sphere attacks, had suddenly leaped in front of Korrina and joined the two blue orbs of energy into a single mass of aura. The two Lucario threw their arms forward at the same moment, sending the gigantic unison Aura Sphere attack- or Dual Sphere as Korrina dubbed it -towards Cynthia and her Lucario. Cynthia's Lucario, no longer blinded by its rage from Mega Evolution, ducked under Cynthia's arm in a split second to dive in front of her and fire off a Flash Cannon move to counteract with the Dual Sphere en route with itself and Cynthia. The silver and blue energies clashed and inevitably resulted in a small explosion and a shockwave afterwards, but every party involved was unharmed if not slightly stunned from what happened.

Cynthia turned around after that, her reflexes not nearly as on par with her Lucario's in dealing with the Dual Sphere move. It was then she noticed how Lucario was calm and level-headed, and Cynthia smiled as a result, "Now that's more like it."

Lucario smiled back at that, but they were interrupted by Korrina clapping and her two Lucario powering down from their Mega Evolution forms.

"I knew you could do it!" Korrina beamed, smiling widely and closing her eyes.

"Says the girl who was so hellbent on putting a stop to all of this…" Cynthia muttered, a sweatdrop forming at her temple.

Korrina pursed her lips, "It's called working under pressure, y'know. I had to throw a little heat on you both so you'd finally get your acts together. It worked, too! Sometimes you just gotta play bad cop!"

Cynthia smiled uneasily in response, "I think that requires there to be a good cop as well, and yet-"

"Easy…" Korrina slumped her shoulders, cutting Cynthia off. She pulled out two Pokéballs after that and returned her two Lucario. She let out a sigh of relief then looked at Cynthia's Lucario, "So?! How's it feel to have conquered Mega Evolution?!"

"Not terrible…" Cynthia teased playfully, looking at her Lucario. Lucario nodded back in agreement. "It's definitely relieving to no longer see Lucario in all that pain."

"Yeah… I know the feeling. That's how I felt when I finally got my Lucario to control its Mega form. I didn't have any luck with it like you did… And funnily enough, my Lucario bit my arm too when we were trying to work things out." Korrina tried to joke, scratching her cheek.

Cynthia's smile faded slightly at that, and she glanced down to her wounded arm. The bite marks had broken the skin, so she was bleeding a bit and it still stung. Lucario averted its gaze to the ground and grunted lowly, ashamed of its actions in its delusioned state. Cynthia immediately shook her head at her Lucario, "Don't. I'll be fine."

"Speaking about being fine…" Korrina laughed uneasily. Her voice was languid and her legs quivered and wobbled from growing weak and unsteady, "...I'm not fine."

Seeing as Korrina was only a few seconds away from collapsing, Cynthia's eyes widened and she hurried to Korrina's side, catching her only seconds before she hit the ground and instead eased her into lying down, "Hey, what was that all about?!"

Korrina smiled a lopsided grin, "Yeah… Drawbacks of being a Successor capable of two simultaneous Mega Evolutions… It nearly knocks me out."

"And you really still had to play bad cop with that in mind…?" Cynthia joked dryly.

Korrina only shrugged guiltily, "It felt cool…?"

Cynthia shook her head fondly in response, and in that moment Eevee had hopped out of Cynthia's hair and into Korrina's arms to make her feel better. Korrina ended up letting out a weak giggle, "Aww…" She snuggled the Eevee before glancing up at Cynthia, "So, what are you gonna do about this little thing? Since you've nailed the trick behind Mega Evolution, you don't need to stay here any longer… and you can't just leave this cutie!" Korrina even held the Eevee out so it'd be face to face with Cynthia.

"I really can't, can I?" Cynthia laughed when faced with the Eevee, "Well, I guess there's only one thing to do now…" She pulled out a Pokéball, and Eevee cheerily swatted it with its paw, causing the Pokéball to open up and draw in Eevee in a red light. The center of the Pokéball flashed red a few times before stopping with a pronounced 'click.' Cynthia smiled at the sight, though she did inhale sharply, "Why do I always take in so many strays…?" She said in reference to both the Eevee and Gardenia.

Korrina smiled knowingly, "It's in your nature."

Cynthia hung her head, but she didn't seem too bothered otherwise by that fact. Lucario had powered down from its Mega Evolution state and had walked over towards Cynthia and Korrina in that moment, standing at its Trainer's side. Suddenly, something in Korrina's mind clicked.

"Hey… Now that your Mega Evolution training is over… Oh, now the fun part begins!" Korrina smiled widely, mustering enough energy to sit up even.

Raising an eyebrow, Cynthia tried to think of what else was left but thought of nothing, "Which is…?"

Korrina clenched her fist in excitement and held it up, "I hope you've got some ideas in that brain of yours, because now you're gonna have to start thinking about how you personalize that Key Stone of yours!" Seeing as Cynthia still looked confused, Korrina showed her how her Key Stone was embedded in her glove, "You know how I got my Mega Glove and Diantha has that Mega Charm? Now you get to decide how you're gonna wear yours as a master of Mega Evolution!"

Cynthia tapped her chin as she thought it over, and eventually there came to be a twinkle in her eyes and an excited smile on her lips, "And I think I have just the idea for it, too…"


	9. Stepping Stones

Gardenia locked her arm with Diantha's and leaned into her side as they were walking down the streets of Lumiose City, grinning widely, "Thank _goodness_ Cynthia is coming back! Hopefully she can knock some sense into Liz when she returns…"

Diantha winced slightly in response, though she did attempt to keep her smile on her face, "Speaking of which… I think it's best we don't tell Cynthia of what's been happening with Elizabeth lately. I wouldn't want her to worry too much about it… and it's honestly the last thing I need right now."

Blinking a few times, Gardenia looked over at Diantha with raised eyebrows, "Huh? Well, okay… If you say so." She furrowed her brow, "Is everything alright with you? You've been looking bothered ever since you went off to the League that day…"

"I promise I'll tell you all about it later, Gardenia. We wouldn't want to sour our moods right before we're going to meet Cynthia, would we?" Diantha asked, flashing a smile to be more convincing.

"Yeah, you're right." Gardenia let out a sigh and stretched, "I guess we shouldn't bring up Liz either. If she wanted to be here for Cynthia's return then she would've joined us before we left. Guess she just doesn't care." Gardenia commented with a bitter voice.

Diantha nodded at that, "It _is_ a shame, really… Granted, I didn't see much of Elizabeth and Cynthia's interactions back in Sinnoh, but I didn't think it would be this bad…"

Gardenia only let out another sigh, "It's always been like this. I'd even say they've calmed down in the last few years. Liz has always been moody and abrasive too. If you just put the right amount of pressure on them both… they just snap right back into their old selves, apparently."

"I think I'm starting to realize just what this 'pressure' is that's making all of this happen, too…" Diantha trailed off, but she soon continued with a hesitant look on her face, "…What does it mean to say that green isn't your best color? Like as an expression?"

Furrowing her eyebrows for a moment, Gardenia tapped her chin in thought, "Well… Normally calling someone green means they're either sick… or maybe jealous? To be green with envy means to be… well, you know… envious. Why?"

"That's what I thought… Earlier on when this whole thing with Elizabeth started, she told me that green wasn't a color she wore well. I didn't understand what she meant by that, and she said that she was just feeling sick. I believed her at first, but then I wasn't sure with how long it kept persisting. That's when I thought it was something else that was bothering her. And it looks like my guess was right. What's been putting her over the edge has been… _me._ " Diantha admitted in a quiet voice, eyes glancing away in guilt.

"So she's jealous, huh?" Gardenia nodded slightly, "That does make a lot of sense…"

As they were walking, Diantha gently pulled on Gardenia's arm to bring her to a stop, "Well… Let's not worry about that for much longer. We're here after all."

Gardenia hummed in response and nodded, "Yeah. It'd be bad if Cynthia showed up while we were talking about this.. Then we'd have to explain this all to her."

"Besides, this is my favorite café." Diantha grinned, "No frowns allowed inside!"

Smiling as well, Gardenia visibly perked up and went to go pull Diantha inside of Café Soleil, "Yeah! So what are we waiting for?!"

"Well, I had hoped you would've waited for me, but it seems as if that wasn't the case."

At the voice that suddenly responded, Gardenia and Diantha turned around to see Elizabeth standing there, sunglasses over her eyes and a holder with four coffees in her hand. Diantha only smacked her lips and lowered her voice so only Gardenia would hear her.

"You weren't kidding when you said Elizabeth was prone to showing up late with coffee…" Diantha blinked a few times in surprise.

"I honestly should've seen this coming." Gardenia shook her head and placed her hands on her hips, "So nice of you to show up, Liz. Late, as usual."

Elizabeth only shrugged, showing no emotion behind her sunglasses, "You know I'm not a nice person in the morning if I haven't had my coffee." She took out one of the iced coffees from the holder and took a sip from it.

"You're not a nice person even with your coffee." Gardenia scoffed.

Narrowing her eyes, Elizabeth extended the arm that was holding the coffee holder, "Now, are you gonna take yours or are you gonna stand here and insult me all day?"

"Easy…" Diantha sighed, stepping in to stop any more insults being traded between the two younger girls, "Let's not start something before Cynthia shows up… We can last one morning without a fight, can't we?"

Gardenia looked like she wanted to say something, but she held her tongue and instead stepped toward the coffee holder. She looked over the names on the three remaining drinks, of which there were 'Goth Queen,' 'Fairy Queen,' and 'Tree Hugger.' Gardenia assumed she was Tree Hugger, and with a sigh she took the latte from the tray and drank from it. She would've stayed mad if the latte wasn't peppermint, aka her favorite.

"At least it's not 'superstar…'" Diantha said as she took the latte marked 'Fairy Queen.' She tasted it to see that it was French Vanilla flavored, which was probably deliberate.

"Thanks, Liz." Gardenia said after a while since she knew it was the polite thing to do.

"Don't mention it." Elizabeth said easily, "Let's just head inside."

Diantha nodded in response and walked inside with Elizabeth and Gardenia closely behind, "It should only be a matter of time before Cynthia shows up. We shouldn't have to wait for long."

Elizabeth slid into a booth with her straw in her mouth, drinking more of her coffee as she pulled out her phone. Gardenia sat down next to her and looked around, sipping from her latte also.

"Cynthia is the punctual one in the family so she'll be here sooner or later." Gardenia teased, "Unlike this one, who proved our point yet again by showing up late with coffee."

"I might've been late to meeting you two before you left, but by heading straight here after I got the coffee I managed to actually be on time, so hah." Elizabeth shot back, grinning to herself.

Gardenia narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth, "That doesn't excuse how you were late to my birthday party last year!"

"Come on, I said I was sorry…" Elizabeth muttered with a shake of her head.

"Ladies…" Diantha warned again, glancing between the two others. It did get the two of them to stand down against each other, which was progress in a sense. Before Diantha could say anything else however, she was beaten to the punch instead by someone quite literally rolling up to their table.

"Long time no see, hotshot!" Korrina skidded to a halt right in front of Diantha's table and rested her hands on her hips, "Miss me?"

"Korrina!" Diantha smiled at the sight, and she stood up to give Korrina a hug, "Of course I've missed you! It's been quite some time! How've you been?"

"I've been up to my neck in work, lemme tell you that." Korrina teased, fanning herself with a hand, "Whew, let's just say your girlfriend is a piece of work… She might've just been my hardest trainee yet!"

"I'm literally standing right here." Cynthia narrowed her eyes and shook her head disapprovingly.

Grinning to herself and laughing softly beneath her breath at Korrina's playful jabs, Diantha simply walked over to Cynthia and wrapped her arms around her, "Don't worry, darling– I'm sure you were an absolute delight to work with."

Cynthia did manage to smile at that, and she hugged Diantha back with a content sigh, "You know I try."

Diantha still had that grin on her face when she responded, "Welcome back."

When Diantha pulled out of the hug afterwards, she leaned back in to press her lips to Cynthia's in a kiss. Gardenia and Korrina both grinned at the sight, but Elizabeth scoffed and rolled her eyes. Gardenia wound up elbowing Elizabeth in the side to get her to stop being so moody.

Cynthia closed her eyes and smiled into the kiss, having missed being around Diantha while she was away. Eventually she did break off from the kiss, but she had a wide grin on her face as she did so, "It's good to be back." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

Gardenia was still smiling, but she noticed something when Cynthia placed her hands on her hips. Cynthia was wearing a short-sleeved top, and from underneath the sleeve Gardenia could see something white wrapped around her arm. Raising an eyebrow, Gardenia cautiously looked Cynthia over, "Hey… What's that on your arm there?"

"Huh?" Cynthia was caught off-guard for a second, but she blinked a few times and looked down at her right arm, frowning, "Oh… War wound, I guess."

Korrina clenched her jaw at that, twisting her lips, "We hit a few snags in our training… Not gonna lie there."

"Cynthia…" Diantha furrowed her eyebrows, ghosting her fingertips over the bandages on Cynthia's arm.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It'll heal." Cynthia smiled to further make her point.

Diantha looked unsure, but she eventually just nodded, "You're a tough one, but don't push yourself too hard.."

"You should've relayed that onto Korrina. She nearly broke me in that training." Cynthia laughed, pointing at Korrina with her thumb.

Korrina threw her arms out to her sides, offended, "Hey! We do that to all of our trainees!"

Diantha laughed to herself, "She has a point. Her family's training is so difficult that they made even Augustine quit in frustration."

"Exactly!" Korrina huffed, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt, but… if you wait any longer, dear sister, the ice is gonna melt." Elizabeth cut in, holding out the coffee for Cynthia to take.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow curiously at first, though she soon smiled when she saw the coffee in Elizabeth's hand, "My favorite, too. Aren't you nice?" She teased, taking the coffee, "Thanks, Liz."

"Don't mention it." Elizabeth said simply as she returned to her phone.

Gardenia looked back at Cynthia after that with a wide grin on her face, "So, how was it? How was learning how to cheat the system?" She teased with a wink.

Korrina glanced over at Gardenia with narrowed eyes, "Excuse me?!"

Furrowing her brow, Gardenia stared at Korrina with pursed lips, "Who's this angry child?"

"CHILD?!" Korrina nearly gasped.

Cynthia couldn't help but smirk at the sight, letting out a low snicker, "This is Korrina. She was my mentor over in Shalour City." She moved closer to Gardenia and placed her hand on her shoulder, leaning in with that devious look on her face, "And guess what? Korrina here happens to be younger than you, Gardenia. That means you're finally off the hook for being the youngest stray we've taken in."

Gardenia's eyes sparkled at that and she smiled widely, "Really?!"

"Stray?!" Korrina growled, "What the heck is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means you're about to be on the receiving end of a million jokes." Elizabeth explained dryly, "Good luck with that."

"I'm finally free!" Gardenia squealed, purely ecstatic by the revelation.

Diantha shook her head fondly with a smile, "You really do live for the chaos, huh?" She asked Cynthia, laughing to herself.

Cynthia only shrugged with a sly look on her face, "It's fun sometimes."

Meanwhile, Gardenia stood up and slung her arm around Korrina in the midst of Korrina's honorary induction as the newest stray. As Gardenia was bothering Korrina, Elizabeth's phone audibly dinged with a notification, and she looked the message over curiously. Elizabeth could hear Gardenia's phone vibrate as well shortly after, and she then glanced over at Gardenia, "I'd hate to cut things short, Gardenia, but Dexio just asked in the group chat if we wanted to join him and Sina at the pool."

"Group chat? What, you have friends now, Liz?" Cynthia asked. She looked at Diantha, "How much did I miss?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at first but she focused back on Gardenia shortly enough, "Are you in?"

"Of course I am!" Gardenia hurriedly answered, though she quickly remembered Cynthia and Diantha, "Er… I mean, if we can go, that is? We won't go unless you're fine with it!"

"Uhh…" Elizabeth trailed off. She did not want to be included in this assumption.

Diantha smiled, "Go ahead. Tell Sina and Dexio I said hi!"

Cynthia still looked confused, "They have friends to ditch me for now? What on earth have I missed, Elizabeth?"

"That's Viscountess Elizabeth to you!" Elizabeth growled, pointing at Cynthia.

" _What?_ " Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

"Yup! And Baroness Gardenia wishes to leave right now! So can we go?" Gardenia cut in, voice urgent.

Cynthia nodded with a smile, "Yes, you can go! We can catch up some other time."

"Thank youuuu!" Gardenia grinned, hooking her arm with Elizabeth's as she stood up to leave, "We'll catch you later!"

Gardenia and Elizabeth rushed out after that, leaving Korrina, Diantha, and Cynthia in the café. Korrina turned towards the other two, and it was then that she noticed…

"Hey, why am I the only one here without a coffee?" Korrina pouted, placing her hands on her hips.

Cynthia and Diantha looked between themselves and smiled guiltily. "Sorry, Korrina." Diantha said with a laugh, "Here, I'll get you one. Consider it thanks for teaching Cynthia so well."

Korrina smiled smugly to herself for getting that out of Diantha, "Thaaaanks, hotshot. You're the best."

* * *

Dexio held his arms out, letting out a deep, calming breath to steel himself before jumping off the diving board and doing a few flips into the water below. Gardenia clapped excitedly at the sight, cheering Dexio on, but Sina's response was a little different after getting splashed with water following Dexio's dive.

"Le vaurien!" Sina growled from behind her teeth, wiping the water off of herself, "Regarde-toi la prochaine fois! Putain… ça, c'est minable!"

Gardenia tilted her head and pursed her lips before looking at Dexio, who had recently resurfaced, "What did she just say?"

Dexio laughed weakly to himself, a guilty smile on his face when he looked back at Gardenia, "Ah… Nothing pleasant…"

Shaking her head with a loud sigh, Sina crossed her arms and laid back in her chair, "Bah… Forget it… Where did Lizzy go?"

"Uh…" Gardenia glanced around, "I think she's underneath that dome of umbrellas."

Sina looked over at the umbrellas that were brought together to form some sort of shield from the sun with a sigh. She slowly stood up from her chair and walked over, peeking her head through when she got through. What she saw was Elizabeth curled up underneath all the umbrellas in the shade, her Glaceon snuggled into her stomach to keep her cold. Sina's expression dropped into a frown at the sight.

"You're kidding, right?" Sina shook her head, "If you're so hot, take off your beach shawl. You don't have to worry about covering up around us. We're your friends, right?"

"I'm showing plenty of skin.." Elizabeth muttered, pulling her Glaceon closer to her. Glaceon luckily looked very happy to be so close with its trainer so it didn't mind the smothering affection and hugs. "The shawl's see-through and thin… It's barely doing anything to make me so hot."

"Come on, Lizzy! The water will cool you down!" Sina grabbed Elizabeth's arm and pulled it to try and get Elizabeth to stand up, "It'll be fun!"

Elizabeth groaned when Sina started to pull at her arm, and Glaceon looked up at Sina with a confused look. "No! I'll burn out there!"

Sina sighed heavily, "Pleeease? You can just wear sunscreen! You'll be fine that way!"

Elizabeth looked over at Sina with a pouted lip, clearly unwilling. Though a few moments later, Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh and sat up, "Fine… I'll go." She scratched Glaceon's head in the meanwhile since Glaceon didn't seem too thrilled that Elizabeth sat up and stopped with their snuggle session.

"Yes! First things first… Let's get this thing off you." Sina pulled the shawl off of Elizabeth and grabbed the sunscreen out of the bag nearby, pouring a bit onto her hands. Taking a hold of Elizabeth's wrist in one hand, Sina started to apply the sunscreen on Elizabeth's arm, and suddenly Elizabeth tensed up.

"Wait." Elizabeth said suddenly, causing Sina to stop midway. Sina didn't move her hands or anything, either. "I can't go in the water! It'll ruin the color in my hair!"

Sina glanced at Elizabeth's blue dyed tips and shrugged, "We can get them done again! Lumiose is filled with such amazing salons! We can make a day of it!"

Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath. She couldn't fight that one any longer. She only sighed and hung her head, giving Sina a window to continue.

Meanwhile, outside of the umbrella dome, Dexio had set up a poolside basketball hoop, and he jumped into the pool and motioned for Gardenia to join him, "Come on, play with me!"

Gardenia grinned brightly in response, "You're going down!" She jumped into the pool after that, splashing Dexio with the water from her cannonball entrance. She took ahold of the ball and eyed the basket, with Dexio serving as the guard blocking her. Biting her lip, she jumped upwards out of the water, using her hand to push off of Dexio's head for the height needed to dunk the ball into the net. She submerged Dexio into the water as well, and she couldn't help but laugh because of it.

"You made that too easy!" Gardenia snickered, watching as Dexio resurfaced and took a large breath.

Shaking the water off of his face, Dexio eventually did smile back, "Hah… I think that's cheating."

Gardenia shoved Dexio underwater again at that, a proud look on her face, "I don't care if it is."

Elizabeth got covered in sunscreen by that point, but she still looked apprehensive, "You know what… I think I'm good. I'm just gonna stay in here where it's safe and cold with Glaceon."

Sina shook her head, "Nope! You're coming with me!"

"Sinaaa!" Elizabeth whined, "No!"

"Too bad!" Sina pushed the umbrellas apart and made a path, then she hoisted Elizabeth right up into her arms and made her way towards the pool.

"Oh _god_ …" Elizabeth blinked in surprise; she was caught up in the fact that Sina had picked her up with such ease. She looked at Sina with a shocked expression, and the fact she was about to be thrown into the pool slipped her mind entirely. "How on earth are you..?"

"In you go!" Sina cut Elizabeth off by tossing her right into the pool, an accomplished smile on her face the entire time.

Gardenia watched as Elizabeth was thrown into the pool, mostly drawn to the sight by Elizabeth's ungodly shriek once Sina threw her, and Gardenia couldn't help but laugh because of it, "Hah! Serves you!"

Elizabeth resurfaced shortly after, slicking her hair back and out of her eyes. She breathed heavily, trying to regain her breath after being submerged like that, "Jesus…" She muttered, looking at Gardenia with wide, panicked eyes, "She's so unnaturally strong! Did you see how she threw me like nothing?! What's with her?!"

Gardenia shrugged, not particularly caring. Dexio threw her the small basketball for another round, and this time instead of going for a dunk, she tried to go for a foul shot basket, but she missed the net entirely. The ball rolled across the ground a few meters away from the pool, and Gardenia winced at the sight.

"Nice one, loser." Elizabeth muttered as her payback for Gardenia's teasing earlier. Her Glaceon had joined up with her, jumping into the pool beside Elizabeth. Elizabeth simply scooped Glaceon up into her arms, letting out a relieved sigh at the icy chill that spread through her through Glaceon's fur.

"Don't worry. I'll get it." Dexio said as he pulled himself up out of the pool. He was wearing a short-sleeved rash guard along with his trunks, so his shirt was sticking to him from the water when he climbed out. He grabbed the ball and made his way back and he ran a hand through his wet hair to keep it out of his eyes.

Suddenly Gardenia grabbed Elizabeth's shoulder, frozen. Elizabeth glanced at Gardenia with a weird look that only grew when Gardenia started to smack her arm too, "What's your problem?!" Elizabeth growled, shoving Gardenia back.

"Look!" Gardenia said in a hushed whisper, "You're seeing that too, right?!"

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth looked over at Dexio, and her eyebrows furrowed at the sight she saw. His shirt was sticking to him, that was for sure… "He has abs…?" Elizabeth asked in an incredulous voice, surprised.

"How is that even possible?!" Gardenia whispered still, "I thought he was supposed to be a nerd scientist assistant person! In what universe does a scientist have abs?!"

Elizabeth shook her head, "I got no idea…" Suddenly something connected in Elizabeth's mind, "This might actually be related, since Sina's ridiculously strong too…" She looked at Gardenia with wide eyes, "These two nerds _are_ super fit and strong!"

Gardenia looked between Sina and Dexio in bewilderment as she clinged to Elizabeth in the water, "Who are these people?!"

* * *

"I thought you were supposed to be some renowned dancer." Cynthia commented as she crossed her arms.

Diantha puffed out her cheeks at that, trying to keep up with Korrina at the rhythm game they were playing but with little avail. Korrina was all smooth-sailing in her timing in stepping on the squares to the beat too, which only rubbed it in Diantha's face further.

"Give me ballet or ensemble dancing, and I'll be fine." Diantha huffed, trying to step on the right arrow at the right time, "This… This isn't real dancing!"

"Korrina would beg to differ." Cynthia shot back, glancing at Korrina who jumped and did a spin only to show off more to Diantha.

Korrina couldn't help but snicker to herself, "Just admit it, hotshot! I can beat you in a few areas! I'm coming for that title of yours next!"

Diantha smiled slightly at that, though that smile soon vanished when she had to focus back on the game, "In your dreams, Korrina."

Cynthia grinned too, "Don't you have something along those lines to ask Diantha, Korrina? You finally have a chance to see her, after all…"

Korrina jumped around, now playing backwards on the rhythm game in order to face Diantha better, "She's right! There's something I've been meaning to ask you for awhile! Officially!"

"I do wonder where this is going…" Diantha teased, quirking a brow with a smile.

Pointing her finger at Diantha, Korrina bolstered a confident grin and snickered under a breath, "As the Gym Leader of Shalour City and the Successor of Mega Evolution, I challenge you for your title as Champion, for real this time!"

"Technically, that's not even my title." Diantha teased again, hitting the final square before their game ended. Now that she was finished, she leaned against the railing behind her and let out a relieved sigh, "You know that's not how the League titles work. I'm the Master."

"Semantics." Korrina huffed, tapping her foot, "So?! Do you accept?! Please, Diantha! I've been wanting to fight you ever since I became Gym Leader!"

Diantha glanced away at that, lowering her head, "I'm afraid I have to decline."

"What?!" Korrina blurted and clenched her fist. She looked to have been angered by that answer, "Y-You can't do that! That's not how this is supposed to work! Listen, Diantha! You're going to give that title up eventually! I'm the only person in this region that stands a chance against you right now! You can't just run and hide in the face of someone strong so you can protect your title for yourself!"

Cynthia was surprised at Diantha's answer as well, though she thought Korrina's response was edging on extreme, "Easy, Korrina… Just let her explain. There's got to be some sort of reason behind this." Cynthia looked back at Diantha, "She was so determined to open up challenges when she returned, too… She isn't trying to keep her title for herself."

Diantha shook her head, "While it's true that a member of the Four can challenge me directly, Gym Leaders cannot. You have to go through the Four before you get to me, and unfortunately, we're missing one of our members."

Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows, "Who are you missing?"

"Malva." Diantha admitted, a hint of bitterness to her voice, "She stepped out on me… on all of us while you were gone. She wouldn't even tell me why… why she decided to toy with me like she did, making me believe that saving the League was possible, making me believe that she was on my side…"

Cynthia inhaled sharply at that. Malva didn't give her good vibes to begin with, so she wasn't surprised. Seeing Diantha like she was following it though was enough for Cynthia to suppress her anger over Malva and instead focus on Diantha. She stepped closer, wrapping an arm around Diantha's waist from behind and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need someone who casts you aside like that. You're better off without her if she doesn't care about you or your ambitions."

"I know." Diantha sighed, leaning into Cynthia's touch, "Though… As much as I hate to say it… I need her. I can't do anything with the League with her gone. She had such a vital role to fill, and now I can't even run League challenges with Malva missing…"

Korrina crossed her arms and glanced down at her feet with a heavy exhale, losing herself to her thoughts for a few moments. Suddenly an idea lit up in her mind and she raised her head, a newfound serious expression on her face, "Don't worry, Diantha. I know how we can fix this."

Diantha raised an eyebrow, confused as to where Korrina was heading with this, "How? I've thought of everything, but there's nothing we can do…"

"You're one Elite Four member short of… well, four, right?" Korrina clenched her fist, "I'll be your last member! I'll complete the Elite Four!"

"What?" Diantha blinked multiple times from surprise, though eventually she glanced off to the side in thought, "Actually… That's not a terrible suggestion…"

Cynthia cut in at that, shaking her head, "Wait, Korrina… You have a Gym to look after! What's going to happen to it when you're gone? You can't be both!"

"My grandfather can take over the position until we find a suitable replacement! What's important now is the Elite Four, and I can fill that position easily!" Korrina smiled widely, growing more confident as she went on, "People ascend from Gym Leaders to Elite Four members all the time! It can't be that hard!"

"Are you sure you can handle the extra responsibility?" Diantha asked, still trying to sell herself on the idea more.

Korrina nodded, "Of course! Besides, being a member of the Elite Four means that I can challenge you directly now…" A devious smile crossed her lips, "It's perfect."

Diantha smiled fondly and closed her eyes, "I promise that you will have your challenge soon. Let me try and get the League back on its feet first. It would be terrible for you to inherit a title of a League that is due to disband."

"That's the closest I've gotten to a 'yes' out of you." Korrina teased, "I'll take it!"

"Then it's settled." Diantha began, smiling still, "Welcome to the Elite Four, Korrina. I'm sure you'll be a great addition to the League that way."

"Now hang on." Cynthia smiled and stepped in, placing a hand on her hip, "I'm not being left out of this either." When her response was a confused eyebrow from Diantha, Cynthia just continued, "How are you going to get challengers when no one knows how powerful you truly are? You're going to have to show everyone your strength. You're going to have to make an example out of someone."

Diantha looked Cynthia over for a moment, that eyebrow of hers still raised, "And who am I supposed to 'make an example out of,' exactly? I'm not going to fight Korrina right this second."

"Me." Cynthia responded, a smirk on her face.

"Hey, no fair!" Korrina cut in with a growl, "I've been trying to fight her for years! You've already fought her once! Share!"

Diantha furrowed her eyebrows at that, not following Cynthia's logic, "Cynthia… You know I'm not strong enough to beat you. It wouldn't help me at all if I lost in front of the entire region to some outsider."

"Not any outsider, mind you. A _Champion_." Cynthia corrected, "And we don't know that for certain. I could've just gotten lucky that one time. There's no need to worry, though. You're going to win for sure. It'll be staged, but no one except us three will know that." She winked to further sell her point.

"A staged match…?" Diantha scratched her cheek, "I don't know, Cynthia…"

Cynthia only tilted her head, "Come on. It's as if we'll be acting, right? You're good at that. I know you are."

Diantha smiled weakly in response, "Well, that's true…" She looked up at Cynthia in concern, "Are you sure you're okay to losing to me? Everyone will be watching, and surely it will cause a lot of media buzz in the days, even weeks to follow."

Shrugging, Cynthia kept that nonchalant grin on her face, "I don't mind losing if it's to you, Diantha. I may be undefeated, but sometimes that can't be helped. Besides, imagine how upsetting the undefeated World Champion would bolster you and your strength to the region. It'll definitely help your image. All I ask is that Garchomp won't be seen getting defeated. She's never fainted in a match before, and I'm not ready to give that feat up just yet."

"I'm sure we can make that work." Diantha grinned back, "Alright, then we can do it!" She laughed to herself, "Who knew a trip to an arcade could get me a new Elite Four member and our next big broadcast battle…"

"Yeah, speaking of which…" Cynthia turned so that she'd be able to see Korrina better, "Why are we here again, anyways? Aren't we a little old to be in an arcade?"

"Hey, we don't have this stuff in Shalour City! It's soooo old-fashioned there! We're barely even from this century!" Korrina huffed, "Maybe I wanted to see some real fun for once."

"Fair enough…" Cynthia shrugged, and she looked to Diantha and gently guided her off the platform for the rhythm game, "Okay, off with you. I'll show you how a real dancer does this." She teased, kneeling down to insert a few coins to start a new game.

"Wha- hey!" Diantha stumbled a bit and frowned, "I'd like to see you try ballet, then! You'd break your foot!"

Giving a fake yawn, Cynthia just focused on the game, "Whatever. That's not real dancing. We all know that stepping on arrows to the beat is peak dancing."

"See?!" Korrina rubbed her hands together to psych herself up for the game, "She gets it! You're on, Cynthia! Hopefully you can give me a better challenge than Mrs. Two Left Feet over there!"

Diantha puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms, standing behind the platform for the game and sulking as she watched Korrina and Cynthia play, "I'll have you know I've received many accolades for my execution in theatre choreographies…"

Ignoring that entirely, Korrina looked to Cynthia with an excited grin when the level select came up, "Hardest difficulty?"

"Hardest difficulty." Cynthia repeated, nodding her head.

The only way to describe Diantha's expression as she watched Cynthia and Korrina duke it out afterwards was exasperated yet affectionate.


	10. Blackout

Normally the process of enacting a new Elite Four member was arduous or involved manually dethroning one of the members, but seeing as there was a blatant vacancy in the members, instating a new one was fairly simple. The League approved Korrina without any hesitation, and Gurkinn was readily approved as the next Gym Leader for Shalour City.

Following Korrina's appointment, Diantha led Korrina to her new chamber inside of the League Building, stopping right in front of the elevator platform before they could go any further.

"Now… Before we go in…" Diantha began a bit hesitantly, a nervous smile on her face, "Keep an open mind about the current state of the chamber… I'm sure you can have renovations done to make it more up to your standards, but for now… You'll have to deal with what you have, alright?"

Korrina furrowed her brow, "Sheesh, homegirl… Just how bad is this going to be if you have to give me a whole spiel about it before we go in?"

"You'd be surprised…" Diantha shook her head with a sigh, "Alright, no point in dallying any further. It's time to show you your new home with your own personal chamber!"

Korrina nodded excitedly, clapping her hands together, "Yes! Yes, of course!"

Diantha led Korrina onto the elevator when given the okay, and together they rode upwards until they had emerged inside the Blazing Chamber. Fire burst out of caldrons throughout the room, and there was an area to the sides of the throne where the floor was a grate overlooking actual magma. The entire chamber had a red, dark atmosphere to it, and it was safe to say it took Korrina back a little bit.

" _This_ was Malva's chamber?" Korrina glanced around, brow furrowed, "Sister went all out, huh?"

"She certainly took her chamber design to the extreme…" Diantha agreed, tugging at her scarf from the sheer heat inside the room.

Letting out a long sigh, Korrina placed her hands on her hips and did another glance-over of the room, "Well, it's a little freaky, but nothing a girl can't work with! I'm sure I can turn this into something rad, no problem! Maybe I can add a halfpipe or something… or maybe some grind rails! Oh, the possibilities are endless!"

Diantha was certainly relieved to see how Korrina put a positive spin on things. She was starting to feel real confident in her decision to promote Korrina to the Elite Four with her optimism; the League could certainly use a breath of fresh air like Korrina in these trying times. "I'm sure you have tons of brilliant ideas. Do whatever you need to to make this chamber a representation of who you are as a Trainer."

Korrina nodded, an eager smile on her face, "I'm so excited! This is going to be great!"

Diantha grinned as well, "I'm sure it will be."

There were a couple seconds of silence with Korrina simply smiling at Diantha while overflowing with excitement, but then Korrina suddenly jumped forward, throwing her arms around Diantha in a hug, "Thank you so much for letting me join the Elite Four, Diantha! You're the best!"

Stumbling back at first from Korrina suddenly throwing herself at her, Diantha let out a laugh and hugged Korrina back, "It was my pleasure, Korrina. I should be thanking you for the idea! I don't think there would be any way we could keep this League afloat without a full Elite Four, so… It's all thanks to you that we're still going strong."

"Aww… You flatter me too much! Do you think that if you butter me up, I'll feel guilty during our challenge and throw it so you don't have to give up your title?" Korrina snickered when she pulled away, rubbing under her nose.

Diantha shook her head, smiling fondly, "Surprisingly, not every move I make is to sabotage you from taking my title. I have a heart."

"If you say so…" Korrina teased with a wide grin. Soon she nudged Diantha, excitement still pouring out of her, "Say, don't you have that match with Cynthia later today?! I can help you warm up!"

"Hmm…" Diantha tilted her head and tapped her chin, thinking things over in her mind, "I should have time before I have my fitting appointment with the tailor… Why not?" She smiled, offering her arm to Korrina.

Korrina took that arm with a stifled laugh, poking fun at the gaudiness of how that sounded, "A fitting appointment, huh… Wow, how fancy. I didn't know you had to get a whole new wardrobe for a single televised match."

Diantha laughed a bit too, scratching her cheek, "Cynthia actually suggested it… Apparently she's quite flashy when given the opportunity."

"You know… I can actually see that." A sweatdrop trickled down Korrina's face as she smiled nervously, "Because with a girl like her, you just know that the only thing she cares about is-"

Diantha smiled at that and closed her eyes, joining in with Korrina when she said, "Her image…"

* * *

Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh, sitting down on a bench and resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward. Her expression showed clear boredom, though there was still the tiniest bit of effort put into keeping her expression composed. It wasn't her fault that there was absolutely nothing interesting around.

"You know…" Elizabeth started in a dull, empty voice. Her eyes were half-lidded and vacant, only adding to her bored air, "You always called me the extra one in the family. I might rethink that, if I were you."

Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows and twisted her lips. She had her arms extended outward as the tailor was taking her measurements for the exhibition outfit, which must have been what Elizabeth was referring to. "Even you wouldn't go on live television in front of an entire region looking as if you just rolled out of bed."

"But the custom outfits? A little much, don't you think?" Elizabeth looked over at Cynthia, an eyebrow dryly raised.

Rolling her eyes, Cynthia merely shook her head and brushed that off, "A battle of Champions for the world to see is something that deserves nothing less than the best. Physically, mentally, and _visually_ …" She lifted her chin at that, emphasizing the last word.

"If you say so…" Elizabeth sighed. Growing fed up with watching her sister be measured to high heaven, she eventually stood up and stretched before stepping further into the store attached to the tailor's. She had time and money to spare after all, so she figured she would browse some of the clothes that they had to offer. Taking to the racks, Elizabeth glanced some of them over, and she pulled out a few pieces she thought were interesting and brought them back to the area with all the mirrors near where Cynthia was getting her measurements done. She held some of the clothes in front of her, trying to visualize how she'd look in them with pursed lips.

Cynthia looked in the mirror in front of her to look at Elizabeth behind her, and she raised an eyebrow upon seeing the clothes Elizabeth picked out, "Now, that's unlike you…" She mused, referring to the style.

Elizabeth glanced over at Cynthia out of the corner of her eye, "And what makes you say that, hmm?"

Cynthia smiled slyly, "For one, it actually matches."

"Tch…"

"It goes together really well, actually." Cynthia did try to seem more genuine with that, "It doesn't look as rugged and wild, either. It's a mature look." A beat of pause, "I'm almost a little afraid by this turn of events."

Elizabeth shook her head, "I just like it, okay? It looks nice… Though I'm having a hard time trying to picture myself in it."

"Probably because it's so unlike you." Cynthia teased, "You know what? Why not just get it? You can wear it at the match tonight."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, "This? At your big match?" She shrugged, "Well, if you're fine with it…"

Cynthia smiled when she got Elizabeth to agree, and soon something went off in her mind, "Oh, right… I wanted to ask you something about the match, actually."

"You're the one in it." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "I don't know how or why I'd play into it at all. I did my share of battling. I'm done now."

"Easy." Cynthia shook her head, "I need a favor. Do you think you could deliver?"

"Depends." Elizabeth smiled slyly, "What's in it for me?"

"Oh, I'll be sure it's worth your while." Cynthia smirked back. She knew how to play the game with her sister, "I'll just need you to hear me out…"

* * *

Malva studied the screens in front of her, gaze hard and brows furrowed. She was severely weighing her options and methods of attack, achieving a near stalemate in her mind. This inability to come to a decision was clearly becoming visible on her features and in her demeanor by how she was growing angrier with every passing second without a decision.

"Ma'am." The man said again, lowering his head and peering over his shades, "What is our plan of action?"

In a flash, Malva turned her head towards the man with a fire burning in her eyes from the unhindered rage she carried inside. That insistence from the man did not do him any favors, as Malva was now infuriated for being rushed. "Sitting down and shutting up, that's a start!" She growled, clenching her fist tightly.

The man averted his gaze and bowed his head, "Yes, forgive me…"

"Not if you don't keep quiet." Malva sneered back, shaking her head before focusing back on the screens. Her hand hovered over her mouth as Malva thought things over, still struggling to come to an answer. Eventually she dropped her hand and straightened herself out, staring at the screens still with a hardened, powerful gaze, "We need energy. We can't go forward with anything else without the energy. I want an attack held on the Kalos Power Plant at once so we can siphon the energy for ourselves."

"But ma'am." The admin shook his head, "With all due respect, the boss has forbidden any action on the Power Plant until there's a more suitable time-"

He couldn't even finish his sentence before Malva had reached out, taking a harsh grasp of his neck in a single hand and squeezing as hard as she could muster, " _I'm_ the boss around here! Anyone else that tries to say otherwise will answer to me and me alone! If I order it, then it better happen!"

The admin struggled within Malva's grip, grabbing her arm to try and get her to loosen her grasp but to no avail, "Gh… N-No! It's far too early to go public…! The boss said it! There's a huge match goin' on tonight… Everyone would know…!"

"I never said anything." Malva shot back, though eventually a wicked smile curved her lips, "And yes… Maybe it's time we reveal ourselves on the grand stage…" She shoved the admin away, finally releasing her hold on his neck, "Yes, it's perfect! Soon the whole region will know who we are! And they will all watch in agony as the word burns before their very eyes by my hand!"

The admin rubbed his neck when he was freed, his crooked glasses so far down his nose as to reveal the terrified look in his eyes by Malva's words, "T-The Power Plant, you said…? It'll be done…"

"Yes, run along." Malva seemed to calm down from that manic outburst, though the wicked grin was still present, "Bring Aliana and some backup with you. Lord knows you'd need the help. Attack as soon as the match is set to begin! The two Champions would be too busy to even bat an eye in our direction… It's the best time to strike!"

"Yes, boss…" The admin bowed before exiting, leaving Malva to her own devices.

Malva looked back at the screens, letting out a low and menacing laugh, "I'm tired of waiting… It's time we expedite things around here. I'm just aching to have the flames of the world's destruction reflecting in my eyes…"

* * *

"Thanks, Korrina." Cynthia said with a smile, taking the item from Korrina, "Talk about getting this right in the nick of time!"

Korrina nodded, a proud grin on her face, "I know, I know. I cut it pretty short, didn't I?"

"Just a little bit." Cynthia teased, winking.

"It took a little while to get perfect, but you should be good for the match!" Korrina held her fist out for a fist bump, "Put on a good show out there!"

Cynthia knocked her fist against Korrina's, "You know it. Thanks again for the help."

With that, Korrina waved and spun around, walking away. She passed Elizabeth on her way out, who was leaning against the wall in the passageway they were in, waiting for Cynthia to finish up with Korrina.

Upon seeing Elizabeth, Cynthia placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head, looking her sister over, "I think I was right with the outfit. It looks good on you."

Elizabeth's black jacket had rolled off her shoulders, resting at her elbows to show the cropped halter top she was wearing beneath it. She pushed herself off the wall and walked forward, closer to Cynthia, "Mm. Thanks. It feels different."

"Probably because it matches and is a lot more sophisticated than your typical attire." Cynthia teased with a smile.

Elizabeth only cocked an eyebrow at that, though otherwise her stoic expression didn't change, "Anyways… Are you really going to go through with this, Cynthia? You're throwing away your entire reputation, and for what?"

"To save an entire region's Pokémon League from going under." Cynthia explained, trying to not seem fazed by Elizabeth questioning her actions, "I was never going to stay undefeated forever, no matter how much I wanted to. At least this way I can be defeated on my own terms. This is the right thing to do. That's what I believe."

"Man…" Elizabeth sighed, shoving her hands into the pockets of her shorts, "I thought I was supposed to be the desperate one of the family, but here you are sacrificing everything for some girl…"

Cynthia could only smile at that, hoping Elizabeth would understand, "That's what you do when you care for someone like I do for her, Elizabeth. Just having her is enough for me. I don't need some silly record to prove that."

"Is that how it is now?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, "Alright, alright… You can do as you please. I don't care."

"Besides… I'm not using Garchomp, so I'm keeping some part of my legend alive." Cynthia winked.

Elizabeth tilted her head back and forth, "Yeah… That's true… I would hate you if you threw away Garchomp's record like that."

"And just because the match is rigged doesn't mean I'm not going to try." Cynthia shook her head, "I'm not going down without a fight, but if for some reason Diantha has the edge over me, my brain might just not find a way out in time, right?" She teased again.

"Mm." Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows, "Wouldn't they know you went easy on her if you don't use Garchomp? It would only make things worse if the people catch on to the fact that this was staged."

"Why do you think I asked for your help, Elizabeth?" Cynthia smirked, "If you think I haven't thought everything through… then you're severely underestimating me."

"I suppose that's fair…" Elizabeth sighed, reaching behind her to grab something off her belt, though before she could hand it over to Cynthia, the lights in the tunnel they were in suddenly went off, causing everything to go pitch black.

"A blackout?" Cynthia narrowed her eyes, "What's going on?"

Elizabeth growled from behind her teeth, "Close your eyes!" She shouted before throwing out a Pokéball, "Flash!"

As soon as Lucy appeared from the Pokéball, a blinding flash shot from out of her body, illuminating the tunnel Elizabeth and Cynthia were in for a few seconds. The star on her tail continued to be fully lit, serving as a flashlight for the two of them.

"Smart…" Cynthia mused, eyes travelling to the end of the tunnel, the entrance to the arena floor, "Come on, let's go!"

Elizabeth nodded, and together she and Cynthia ran towards the end of the tunnel towards the arena itself.

* * *

Earlier, around the same time Cynthia and Elizabeth were talking, Gardenia worked her way down the other tunnel on the opposite side of the arena. Technically she wasn't supposed to be down there, so she was slowly walking around while still on the lookout for anyone who might kick her out. Eventually she spotted Diantha near the end of the tunnel, and with a wide smile appearing on her face, Gardenia jogged down to join her.

"Diantha!" Gardenia shouted as she ran, waving her hand.

Diantha turned around to see who was calling her, and she smiled upon seeing it was Gardenia, "My, my… To what do I owe this visit to?"

Gardenia slid into a stop, standing in front of Diantha, "I just wanted to see you before the match!"

Diantha let out a small laugh at that, "Darling, it's not that I'm complaining, but- I got you and your friends the best seats in the house in the balcony. You might miss the beginning of the match if you don't hurry up there!"

Gardenia shook her head, "I don't care about that! I really wanted to see you!"

Knowing it futile to fight it, Diantha merely nodded, "Alright, Gardenia. If you'd like, you can keep me company before the start of the match."

Nodding at that, Gardenia laughed nervously under her breath and lowered her head, playing with her hands, "Sorry, I don't really know how to say this, but-" Gardenia walked closer and hugged Diantha, smiling to herself, "I really hope you win this match! I know that's probably a terrible thing to say since you're going up against Cynthia, but… I know you can beat her this time! You only barely lost the last time you fought!"

Diantha froze when Gardenia suddenly hugged her, but she soon returned the hug. Gardenia didn't know that the match itself was rigged, but it was nice to know she had faith in her, even if it was surprising that she was rooting against Cynthia this time around, "Oh… Thank you! I hope I can win this time as well… It would be pretty bad if I lost in front of everyone, right?"

"Exactly!" Gardenia pulled away in that moment, a wide, near wicked smile on her face, "That's why I'm going to help you!"

"Help me…?" Diantha tilted her head.

Gardenia nodded, spreading her lips apart to show her teeth in that smug smile on her face, "That's right. I'm going to tell you how to defeat that Garchomp once and for all!"

Diantha could only widen her eyes in response, bewildered by Gardenia's determination in that moment. She of course knew that Garchomp wasn't going to be used in the match, but she couldn't tell Gardenia that, "Er… I appreciate the offer, Gardenia, but I think I'm fine…"

Gardenia shook her head, "Please, Diantha! Let me help you!"

"...Alright. What is your plan?" Diantha eventually let up, again knowing better than to fight it.

"Everyone knows that Garchomp is ridiculously strong, and honestly, there's nothing we can do about that. However!" Gardenia straightened up, "The one thing you can change… is Garchomp's speed."

Diantha raised an eyebrow, "Its speed?"

Gardenia nodded, "If you can use Gardevoir's Psychic type moves to confuse it or slow it down in any way, then Garchomp is barely a threat anymore! Its speed is the most dangerous thing about it, believe it or not! If it's slowed down, then it can be beaten!"

Diantha had to admit, Gardenia had a point with her strategy. It was too bad Diantha wouldn't need it in the match. However, Diantha still smiled in thanks, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Gardenia. You're quite clever."

"I really do want you to win." Gardenia calmed down in that moment, smile mellowing out, "Someone's gotta teach Cynthia what it's like to lose, after all."

"I'll try my best." Diantha placed her hand on Gardenia's shoulder, "Thank you for coming down here. Your spirit renewed my confidence and excitement for this match, and I appreciate it."

Gardenia smiled almost bashfully at that, "Well… It was my pleasure!"

In that moment, their tunnel had lost all light as well due to the blackout. Jolting where she stood, Diantha looked around to try and figure out what as going out.

"Uh… Is that supposed to be happening?" Gardenia asked.

"No… Not at all!" Diantha let out a shaky breath before glancing down towards the end of the tunnel to the arena, "Follow me!"

Gardenia nodded, though she quickly realized she couldn't see Diantha at all, "Wait! Where am I supposed to follow you?!"

"To your left, Gardenia!"

"Right!"

"No, your left!"

"...That's not what I-... Okay!" Gardenia ran off to her left, following Diantha out of the tunnel and out onto the arena floor. The stadium had a open roof, but it was nighttime so it was still dark. There being no lights in the stadium only made it worse, so Gardenia did the only thing she could once she was out of the tunnel, throwing a Pokéball up into the air, "Sunny Day!"

Tropius had appeared from the Pokéball and a large beam had shot out from its mouth up into the sky, parting the clouds and causing for an induced, artificial light to cover the stadium, at least allowing for everyone to be able to look at each other for a few minutes.

Gardenia and Diantha spotted Elizabeth and Cynthia across the stadium, and they ran over to meet up with them.

Elizabeth immediately flinched at the sudden sun, covering her eyes with one hand and using her other to block out the sun away from her face, "What the hell…"

"Sorry, Liz." Gardenia sighed, "Had to."

"What's going on?" Cynthia asked when she got near Diantha, "This wasn't planned, was it?"

Diantha shook her head, "I have no idea…" Her eyes wandered up towards the audience in attending; it was a sold out event, after all, "They all seem terrified…"

"Is there any way that we can get the lights back on?" Cynthia looked around, clenching her fists.

Diantha looked over Cynthia's shoulder, spotting someone running their way, "Hold on, Cynthia…" Diantha said before breaking off from the pack and approaching the oncoming figure, "Marcus!"

Marcus, a young man and the head of security at the stadium, came to a stop in front of Diantha, placing his hands on his knees and letting out a heavy breath from running so much, "Whew… Sorry, Champ…"

"You're fine. Don't overexert yourself, darling." Diantha said with a hint of concern to her voice, "Have you any idea what's wrong?"

Marcus straightened himself out and cleared his throat, "Yes! All of the electricity to the stadium is out! We don't have lights, we don't have microphones, we don't have cameras… Everything is out!"

Diantha exhaled heavily, clenching her jaw, "We can't do anything with all of the power out like this…"

"And it isn't just the stadium!" Marcus continued, "All of the city's power is out too! The issue is coming from the Power Plant!"

Diantha glanced over her shoulder at the others who gathered behind her, "Did you hear that?"

Cynthia nodded and rested her chin in her hand in thought, "The Power Plant, huh?" She shook her head and grunted, "It's not like we can just go and check. If we vanish and the power comes back on… We won't be here for the match, and then what would we do?"

"Besides…" Diantha glanced off to the audience again, "Us leaving would leave them feeling vulnerable, wouldn't it? We have to stay for them."

Elizabeth returned Lucy in that moment, closing her eyes, "Then stay. You two would be useless once you get to the actual Power Plant anyway."

Diantha and Cynthia both looked at Elizabeth with raised eyebrows, clearly offended and taken aback by that sudden insult.

Marcus glanced between the three of them uneasily, "Uh… Come again?"

"You heard me." Elizabeth said, pulling out a different Pokéball, "If there's a problem at the Power Plant, someone will have to _fix_ it. I doubt an actress and a myth researcher have any idea how to deal with an electrical problem."

Cynthia just huffed and looked away. Diantha glanced down at her fingers as if she was trying to think the whole process through in her head, and eventually she deflated with a sigh. Elizabeth had a point.

"Me, on the other hand… I can actually fix it." Elizabeth pointed out, "I'll go, so stay here and make sure no one panics. They'll feel safer with you around."

"I'll go too." Gardenia stepped forward, earning her a strange stare from Elizabeth.

"I doubt the botanist is of any more help than the actress and history buff when it comes to this stuff, you know." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

Gardenia shrugged at that, though her expression was still determined, "Yeah, but what if it's not an electrical problem?"

Elizabeth looked appeased with that, "Backup's good too, I guess." Her attention went to Marcus, and she slapped his shoulder, "We'll be back. Keep everything on lockdown until we return."

Marcus rolled his shoulder away after Elizabeth hit it, glancing at her strangely, "Did you… just try and tell me how to do my job?"

"Yup." Elizabeth tossed the Pokéball she was holding and summoned her Staraptor, "Gardenia!"

Gardenia ran over to Tropius and hopped on its back, "On it!"

"The Power Plant is located northwest of here!" Marcus shouted, "In the Badlands!"

Elizabeth scoffed as she boarded Staraptor, "Hah. Badlands. Okay, buddy…"

Marcus held his hand over his forehead, shaking his head, "That's what they're called… Come on…"

Staraptor and Tropius shot off into the air after that, Elizabeth and Gardenia in tow as they emerged over top of Lumiose City. Cynthia and Diantha watched as they left before turning back to each other.

"They're your people." Cynthia said, "Perhaps it would be best if you address them."

Diantha nodded before turning to Marcus, "Make sure security is airtight, please."

"Right." Marcus nodded, running off of the field.

Diantha let out a sigh and hung her head. Cynthia simply walked to her side and placed a hand on her back to try and comfort her.

"Don't worry. Elizabeth and Gardenia will fix this." Cynthia said, flashing a smile, "Then we'll have our match, and everything will be fine."

"I hope so…" Diantha trailed off.

* * *

Elsewhere, at the exclusive viewing balcony, Sina, Dexio, and Korrina all watched as the blackout occurred and how Gardenia lit up the stadium with Sunny Day. They were all pressed against the railing, trying to see what was going on with everyone on the field. They watched as Elizabeth and Gardenia flew off, and then Korrina decided to stop standing by idly.

"I'm gonna go see if Diantha needs any help!" Korrina said, keeping her eyes trained on the field for a few moments before she dashed off.

"Yes, please do." Dexio looked back and watched Korrina as she ran off before looking back to the arena. Suddenly something in Sina's pocket rang, and she pulled out her phone to answer it.

"Professor?" Sina asked, putting the call on speaker for Dexio to hear.

"There's something going on at the Power Plant." Augustine's voice on the other line began, "I'd like it investigated. Make sure nobody's hurt, please."

"Yessir!" Sina and Dexio both said before ending the call.

Sina locked eyes with Dexio, the two of them sharing the same stern gaze. They nodded at each other before running off together, completely slipping past security and into the Lumoise night.


	11. Équipe Masquée

**A/N: I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out! I have been quite busy in real life with graduation and trips out of state. I'm giving you this 8000+ word behemoth of a chapter as an apology. ;)**

* * *

Malva placed her hand over her earpiece to listen in on the information that was being relayed to her, "Everything's going according to plan?"

"Yes, ma'am." The admin reported from the Power Plant, "We're extracting the energy now."

"Perfect…" Malva's lips curved into a grin, "Chop, chop. Let's finish this as quickly as possible."

"Yes, ma'am!"

With a content sigh, Malva sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, allowing herself to relax for a moment. Her respite was destined to not last for long however, since a grunt had burst into her chamber in a clear rush.

"Ma'am!" The grunt shouted, out of breath, "Something's happened!"

Rolling her eyes, Malva let out a heavy groan and shook her head, "What could it _possibly_ be?! I was relaxing here!"

"S-Sorry, but you need to hear this! Lumiose City has had a major blackout!" The grunt continued in a panic.

Malva's eyes widened, "What?! How?!"

"The operation on the Power Plant!" The grunt waved his arms about, "They must have cut off power to the Lumiose grid! Now everyone knows about the operation!"

"Even the Champions?" Malva asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Especially the Champions! Our undercover agents at the event have been keeping an eye on them and those two sent people to investigate!"

Malva's eyes flashed with anger though she showed restraint, holding herself back and keeping herself composed, "They've only _sent_ people? Hmph… Then we're fine. Aliana and the backup she has will suffice in exterminating those vermin."

The grunt seemed surprised by Malva's inaction, though he did nothing to protest and instead bowed his head, "Yes, ma'am! I'll… I'll get out of your hair now!"

Malva only watched as the grunt escaped the room, leaving Malva to her own devices. She averted her gaze and focused straight ahead of her, leaning back in her chair yet again. Clenching her fists, Malva could only glare at the wall and space of nothingness before her, a stunted breath escaping her nostrils.

There was no relaxing now.

* * *

The light from the Power Plant off in the distance was enough to illuminate the path of the Badlands for Elizabeth and Gardenia. The only issue was trying to find a way to enter the Power Plant, as the only visible exterior to the building was decorative spikes and the central machine.

"Tch…" Elizabeth muttered beneath her breath, glancing around, "Trying to fly into that is certain death. How are we gonna get inside?"

"Hang on, hang on!" Gardenia hurriedly looked everywhere, and soon she spotted a small electrical house nearby the Power Plant, "What's that thing over there?!"

Elizabeth looked to where Gardenia was pointing, expecting to see a cactus or something, but when she saw the small house off in the distance she was pleasantly surprised, "Huh… That might be it! Let's go!"

Elizabeth and Gardenia flew over to that small house and dismounted Staraptor and Tropius, recalling them back into their Pokéballs once they were on land. Gardenia ran up towards the door first and placed her hand on the doorknob, trying to open it but to no avail, so she was only jiggling the doorknob in place.

"Oh, come on!" Gardenia growled with a huff, stomping her foot, "Open up!"

"Move aside." Elizabeth said as she took a few steps back.

Gardenia raised an eyebrow but did as she was told, "What are you gonna do, pick the lock or something?"

Her question was answered when Elizabeth drove her foot in the door near the handle, sending it bursting open so that it hit the adjacent wall with a loud thud.

"...I suppose that works too." Gardenia shrugged, merely strolling inside and making her way down the stairs, "Everything here must be underground… No wonder we couldn't find an entrance."

Elizabeth followed Gardenia but soon placed her hand on her shoulders, "Hey, let me go first. Cynthia would kill me if you got hurt somehow."

Gardenia looked over her shoulder, confused for a moment, but she ultimately stepped back and let Elizabeth pass her, "I mean… Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

As soon as Elizabeth stepped past Gardenia, they both heard a sound off deeper into the Power Plant, namely an explosion. They both shared a look, and Elizabeth clenched her fists before breaking out into a run down the underground passageway to the Power Plant. "Let's go!"

Once the two of them had busted through the doors into the core of the Power Plant, immediately they were greeted with the image of men and women in orange suits with Pokémon at their sides, keeping the Power Plant workers pinned and cornered. Gardenia reached down for her belt and bared her gritted teeth, determination running high.

"Leave this to me! You go figure out the real problem here!" Gardenia shouted, throwing out two Pokéballs and bringing her running to a stop, "Torterra! Roserade! Show your thorns!"

Torterra slammed down upon the grated floors at the core of the Power Plant and Roserade landed softly next to it. Gardenia clenched her fists after putting their Pokéballs away, preparing herself for battle.

Elizabeth skidded to a halt when Gardenia did, looking at her in confusion when she did so. When told to keep going, Elizabeth looked deeper into the Power Plant, and she spotted a second level above them that led to the very heart of the Power Plant, where access to the main central system was. She furrowed her eyebrows and started running again, eyes trained on that upper level ahead.

Gardenia focused back on the strangely dressed enemies once Elizabeth pressed onwards, taking account of the Pokémon they were using. There were plenty of Golbat, Scraggy, and Swalot. The few men and women turned to Gardenia, luckily drawing their attention away from the Power Plant workers. At the very least, Gardenia could stall for an escape.

"Y'know, it's kind of a jerkish move to plan your attack the same day of this huge match." Gardenia said in a low voice, eyes narrowed, "You're ruining fun for a lot of people. I can't forgive that."

"Sorry, boss's orders!" The one grunt struck a pose, pointing at Roserade, "Golbat, Wing Slash!"

Gardenia only clenched her jaw as she watched, but Roserade seemed to read her mind. Roserade leaped back to avoid Golbat's glowing wing, and from there it awaited further instruction, which Gardenia was happy to deliver.

"Leaf Storm, both of you, let's go!" Gardenia commanded, eyes on the Scraggy and Swalot specifically.

A huge storm brewing of leaves and foliage kicked up with a mighty roar from Torterra and a sharp cry from Roserade. Every Pokémon in the immediate vicinity was caught up in the winds and subjected to the sharp leaves, and the strange trainers too.

The one grunt covered his face with his arms, gritting his teeth, "Blasted child…! Why do you have to get in our way…?!"

Gardenia tilted her head, a dry look on her face, "You're the one who got in my way. If you don't like it, then stand down and get the heck out of here!"

"Tch… We have a mission to complete, and we won't let a kid stop us!" Another grunt shouted.

Leaf Storm finally wore off, the winds causing Gardenia's hair to blow slightly. She could only narrow her eyes at the grunts and grit her teeth in response. At the very least, she's buying Elizabeth time to fix the problem. However, there was something inside of her that made her want to crush them for everything they were saying.

"Hurry up, Liz…" Gardenia said under her breath, "Before I end up doing something stupid…"

* * *

Her feet landed on the grating below after she pulled herself up the ladder, gathering the attention of the two other people on the upper level on her. Elizabeth only slowly rose to stand up, gauging the two people in front of her. One was a bald man in a white suit, and the other was a ginger woman in an orange dress. They were both wearing some strange glasses, and Elizabeth's eyes only narrowed at the sight.

"You two buffoons are behind all of this? Really?" Elizabeth asked, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot on the grates below.

The admin stepped forward as if he was going to take care of it, but Aliana cut him off by extending her arm in front of him, "I must say… It's quite interesting to see someone arrive so soon to stop us. I thought we were in the clear tonight, weren't we?" She turned to the admin.

The admin nodded, "We should have been… This was supposed to go on without a hitch during the Champions' match!"

"Don't tell me you don't know." Elizabeth shook her head, but seeing as she was met by two confused looks, she let out an annoyed sigh, "Your stupid plan caused a city-wide blackout. So much for being in the clear, huh?"

"What?!" The admin grunted, "That's impossible!"

"And why would I lie to you, Mr. Worldwide?" Elizabeth sighed again. These two were something else… "Now, if you'll so kindly move aside, I have to fix the damage you two idiots wrought. Out of the way."

Aliana stomped her boot down on the flooring below, showing how she was set on not moving, "I don't think so. We're here on a mission. We're not leaving until we're finished."

Elizabeth shrugged simply, reaching to her belt to pull out a Pokéball and maximizing it in her grasp, "I mean, it's your funeral then, Ginger Spice. If you're going to be so insistent, then I'll force you out of the way if I must."

"Like you could top us, sweetheart." The admin slammed a fist into an open palm, "We're high-ranking commanders for a reason! We can squash you!"

"We'll see about that. I'll just let Zapdos do all the talking then!" Elizabeth hurled the Pokéball forward, releasing the Legendary Pokémon for all to see.

Zapdos let out a piercing cry as soon as it appeared from the flash of light, sparks flying off of its body as it flapped its wings. Elizabeth only kept her hardened gaze on the two Team Flare members in front of her, unwavering.

Aliana bared her teeth, the white a distinct contrast to her lipstick, in response to the Pokémon that now stared her down. She called out her own Pokémon in that moment, revealing a Mightyena.

"A Zapdos?! Yo, what kind of Trainer are you?! That's insane!" The admin shouted before sending out his Houndoom, "Whatever… A Pokémon is only as strong as its Trainer, and you just look like some punk! This'll be all too easy!"

Elizabeth couldn't help but let out an angered growl as soon as she saw the two Pokémon standing against her. She schooled her expression soon enough to try and appear unfazed, and she slowly raised a hand high, pointing to the ceiling of the Power Plant. "Thunder."

Suddenly a large, yellow streak of lightning dropped down from the ceiling and crashed into Zapdos, imbuing it with an oppressive yellow aura highlighted by sparks of electricity, almost like it drew in energy from the Power Plant itself to fuel its attack. The energy Zapdos accumulated shot off in a direct line of lightning that shot straight towards Houndoom and Mightyena, though it whirled right between them and into the wall of the Power Plant instead of the Pokémon, causing an explosion. Black smoke lifted off where Thunder made contact, and slowly Aliana and the admin's gazes returned to Elizabeth and Zapdos, wide with fright regarding the sheer power emanating off that Zapdos.

"Next time, it will make its mark." Elizabeth lifted her chin, "Last chance. Get out of here before I fry you to a crisp."

Aliana and the admin looked between each other, hesitant for a moment, though eventually their wavering resolve solidified and they stood their ground.

"Dark Pulse!"

"Flamethrower!"

Houndoom opened its mouth to release a funnel of flames towards Zapdos at the same time Mightyena unleashed a stream of purple and black energy. The two attacks flew towards Zapdos, aiming to converge on the Legendary Pokémon, but Zapdos flew upwards to avoid it right in the nick of time. The two attacks crashed into the ground in front of Elizabeth's feet, but she didn't flinch or back down at the smoke that kicked up.

"Focus Blast, max power."

Zapdos joined its wings near its core, causing a brown sphere of energy to form. Like a cannon, the amassed energy shot outwards in a straight beam, crashing into Houndoom and sending it flying backwards from the super-effective hit.

Elizabeth motioned towards the Mightyena afterwards. "Now end it with Flamethrower."

A vortex of flames, flames brighter and larger than the ones used by Houndoom, spewed from Zapdos's mouth and engulfed Mightyena entirely. Mightyena fell from the force of the hit, only its hind legs able to keep its body upright.

"A Zapdos that knows Flamethrower..?" Aliana clenched her fists, "Something's not right here…"

Walking forward, past Zapdos and towards the two Team Flare agents, Elizabeth simply kept her gaze fixated on the machines in front of her, "I told you to stand down. Not my fault you didn't listen."

The admin glanced over towards his Houndoom, who was slowly starting to rise to its feet after the hit. A silent look of his was shared with Aliana then unbeknownst to Elizabeth, spelling trouble.

"Dark Pulse, both of you!" Aliana and the admin shouted at the same time, directing their Pokémon to attack the oncoming Elizabeth.

Houndoom and Mightyena were suddenly able to send two beams of dark energy towards Elizabeth from their mouths, causing Elizabeth to freeze from shock. In a desperate effort, Zapdos flew in front of Elizabeth at the last minute, taking the brunt of the Dark Pulse attacks. The force behind the two moves was enough to send Zapdos flying backwards, unfortunately slamming into Elizabeth and sweeping her off her feet as well. Zapdos and Elizabeth landed a few meters away on the grated flooring, causing a dark fog to envelop them both. When the fog dissipated, Zapdos was no longer sprawled out on top of Elizabeth, but rather her Zoroark.

"Dammit…" Elizabeth muttered under her breath, frustrated that the ruse was up. She could no longer rely on intimidation tactics to win this one.

Aliana could only smile at the revelation, her Mightyena joining her by her side, "I knew something wasn't right. Just a girl and her illusions, nothing of grandeur."

Elizabeth pushed herself to try and sit up, though the pain from such a harsh landing prevented her from doing so. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, letting out an irritated groan.

Before Aliana and the admin could revel too much in their victory, a blue beam and a sphere of electricity crashed into the floor before their feet, kicking up smoke in its wake. The attacks came from above, and Elizabeth traced back to their origins to see two people in white jump down onto the platform she was on, with their Pokémon in tow.

The admin crossed his arms with a grunt at the sight of two more people, "What gives?! This was supposed to all go by undetected!"

"Think again!" The female of the two newcomers shouted. Her white outfit was accented with streaks of red, and by her side was an icy fox-like Pokémon. "No attack on something as monumental as the country's Power Plant would ever go unnoticed!"

"Besides, you idiots caused a citywide power outage. Like people are just gonna glance over that." Elizabeth muttered, eyes narrowed in a glare as she managed to prop herself up with her elbows where she laid on the grated floor.

Elizabeth's voice seemed to remind the two newcomers that they were not alone against Team Flare, and suddenly the red one turned to face Elizabeth. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Seen better days, not gonna lie…" Elizabeth glanced over at the other person, whose white outfit was accented with blue, "You two didn't happen to see another girl on the way in, have you? She'd be surrounded by Grass-types.."

The man in the blue mask smiled proudly at the mention of Gardenia, "Of course. She's fighting like a true hero. She insisted we move on ahead to help you, actually."

"That hurts my ego." Elizabeth said in a dry, sarcastic voice.

Suddenly Aliana cleared her throat, drawing attention back to her. "Now, if you're finished chatting amongst yourselves… What kind of motley crew do you take yourselves to be?"

The woman in the red mask gritted her teeth at that, obviously offended, "We're the heroes that are going to take you down and fix this whole mess!"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "I was here first."

"Heroes?" Aliana tilted her head and smirked, "You look as if you got lost on the way to a masquerade ball."

"We're Équipe Masquée." The blue one said, "Mock us all you want. We will see who's laughing once Rouge and I are finished here."

"Bleu said it." Rouge clenched her fists, "Ninetales, use Dazzling Gleam!"

The Alolan Ninetales let out a barrage of rainbow spikes that shot towards Mightyena and Houndoom. The spikes crashed into the two Dark Pokémon's sides, resulting in super-effective hits.

"Now Raichu, use Thunderbolt!" Bleu shouted, gaze specifically on Mightyena.

Raichu became surrounded in electricity before shooting a large bolt of lightning at Mightyena, enveloping it whole.

Elizabeth only watched with a careful gaze, eyes drifting between the two 'masked heroes.' They both were using strange Pokémon, and Elizabeth recognized the Raichu at least being from Alola. She tried to get a measure on just who they were and why they were there, but considering the fact they were fighting for her, Elizabeth just stayed put where she was behind their line of defense, seated next to her wounded Zoroark. She would wait until Zoroark was ready to jump in after suffering a rough crash landing, but until then… Elizabeth didn't move an inch. She glanced over the edge of the second level platform down below in search of Gardenia. Gardenia was taking on all those grunts alone, and Elizabeth hadn't the foggiest idea why she would pass up on the heroes' help…

* * *

Back at the stadium, Korrina was trying to wade her way through some of the panicked crowds so she could make her way to Diantha, but she was mostly caught up within the mob. No one was moving, and she was having a pretty hard time skating in such a terrain. Before she could even think of shouting to try and force herself through, a voice cut her off.

" _There is little need for alarm, everyone. The security here at the stadium is among the best. The problem with the power should be fixed shortly. Everyone is safe here with us. Do try not to be alarmed._ " Came Diantha's voice over telepathy, probably brought on by Gardevoir's powers.

" _She's got a point, y'know. Besides, if being among some of the best security isn't reassuring enough, knowing you're in the hands of two Champions should do the trick. We won't let anything happen to anyone here, that's for sure. We're all safe here! It's best not to grow too panicked, or else that may be where people really start to be in danger!_ " Cynthia's voice chimed in later.

It seemed that the words from both Cynthia and Diantha were enough to pacify the crowds down to reasonable levels, and that made it so that Korrina could move amongst the mob. She glanced around now that there was space and room for her to breathe, and the sight of someone with orange sunglasses caught her eye. Now that was a strange fashion choice. It was well into the night at the time of the match. She watched him curiously, pursing her lips in distaste. That was when she noticed how he was speaking into his wrist, turning his head every few seconds as if to keep on the lookout for any eyes on him.

Korrina furrowed her eyebrows and glanced around after that, and she spotted a man in a security uniform talking to other guards a few feet away. His uniform was a bit different than the rest, so Korrina sought him out first.

"Hey, guard!" Korrina placed her hand on the man's shoulder before whirling in front of him on her skates, "I need your help real quick!"

The guard, who was head of security Marcus from before, looked between Korrina and his men with a bit of a stunned look, "Just a moment, ma'am… I'm with my team here."

"Fine, but make it quick! I don't want this guy to split!" Korrina peered over Marcus's shoulder to try and see behind him to keep an eye on the mysterious person from before.

Marcus blinked a few times but shook his head to get himself back on topic, "...Anyways, I want guards posted at every exit. No one is leaving this stadium until the power is back on, and that's final! We do not need the liability of people flooding the streets in a panic and getting hurt!"

The guards all nodded before running off to their stations, leaving Marcus alone with Korrina. "So… You were saying?" Marcus asked, crossing his arms and tilting his head.

Korrina moved closer and spun Marcus around, pointing towards the mysterious man from before with the orange sunglasses, "See him? He's been talking into his wrist like some guilty criminal, glancing around so he won't get caught!"

Marcus squinted in the man's direction, trying to get a read of his behavior for himself. He could agree it was suspicious, and he figured it best to investigate. "Alright.. Let me get backup then."

"No need." Korrina clipped the chin strap of her helmet together, "Haven't you watched Gym Freaks? I got a killer axe kick. We got this between the two of us."

Granted, that was a bit unorthodox, but Marcus was too stressed out by the whole blackout situation to care too much, "...Knock yourself out. Just don't scare him off."

"Got it!" Korrina smiled to herself and cracked her knuckles, though she simply skated beside Marcus as they walked, trying not to stand out in the crowd. As she walked, she was able to see a few other sunglasses-wearing people around, and they were starting to converge inwards on the same spot. "You see that, right?"

"Of course, this is my job." Marcus said with a shake of his head and a frown.

"This could get kinda ugly. I hope you're ready to throw down." Korrina snickered underneath her breath from excitement.

Marcus let out a sigh, "This is literally my job. I know what to expect. Don't do anything reckless. I'm the professional here."

The men wearing the same orange sunglasses all met up and began to walk together towards an emergency exit, and Marcus broke out in front of Korrina to catch up. "Hey! The stadium's on lockdown! No one's allowed in or out!"

The strange men all turned towards Marcus in surprise, and the one closest to Marcus and Korrina reached into his coat. What he was about to pull out was unknown, since Korrina had rushed forward and whirled her leg right into his stomach in a powerful roundhouse kick, causing him to double over and fall to the ground.

"Now…" Korrina said, pressing her skate on top of the man's back, "Anyone else want to try anything like that? I've broken through rocks with my kicks before. You're not ready to feel that pain."

The men all grabbed their coats and threw them off to reveal their strange orange suits underneath as members of Team Flare, and to Marcus and Korrina both, that didn't seem like them standing down so it would only grow worse from there.

One of the Flare grunts charged Korrina, and she waited until the right moment to aim an axe kick to his chin, knocking him back with the sharp vertical kick. Marcus ducked underneath a punch that a grunt aimed at him, grabbing onto that extended arm and using the grunt's momentum to throw him right over Marcus's shoulder and onto the ground. Korrina was able to skate behind the last grunt and stomp her foot straight into his back, sending him towards Marcus where he simply clotheslined the grunt flying towards him, knocking the grunt down.

Korrina brushed herself off after that, letting out a heavy exhale to level her breathing, "Told you."

Their brawl had attracted attention from some of the other guards nearby on duty, and they came over to come apprehend the strange men. Marcus saw to it that they were escorted away and taken into custody before he looked over at Korrina.

"You hurt after that?" He asked.

Korrina shook her head with a grin, "Nah, that felt amazing! But… Fun aside, I think this whole thing spells trouble."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Think about it. These guys must have been plants or spies or something, reporting back to someone based on success or whatever. It makes me think that what's going on at the Power Plant isn't just technical difficulties."

Marcus nodded at that, glancing aside and thinking it over for himself, "It makes me wonder just what those two got themselves into when they left to fix it."

Korrina let out a sigh, "Those two are tough. A Gym Leader and a Champion's sister. And yet… They've been gone an awfully long time."

"Mm…" Marcus shook his head, pushing that aside for now, "I need to see through to this. Let one of the guards know if you spot anyone suspicious again."

Nodding, Korrina turned around and started skating away. She still had to meet up with Diantha after all. "Got it!"

Once she was on her own and in the clear, Korrina furrowed her eyebrows and clenched her fists tight. She was on her way to the tunnels leading to the main arena to check up on the two Champions, though her mind was wandering elsewhere. "Come on, you two… Hurry up already and fix this…"

* * *

Gardenia lifted an arm over her head to shield her face from the razor sharp winds that were coming from the Golbat's wings, squeezing her eyes shut. These Golbat were starting to become a real problem for Roserade and Torterra, and she had to do something about them quick. The only problem was that Gardenia couldn't think of much of a solution.

"Tch…" Gardenia scrunched her nose when the wind subsided. She tried to wrack her brain for an idea as to how to go forward, but she came up short. It seemed as if she'd have to stall for time, "Earthquake and Sludge Bomb!"

Roserade leaped onto Torterra's back seconds before Torterra slammed its front legs on the floor, striking tremors through the ground that struck every Pokémon that wasn't airborne. While it was super-effective on the Swalot, it only dealt moderate damage to the Scraggy, so the purple poison that shot out of Roserade's rose bouquets cascaded over the Scraggy to deal extra damage.

"Stockpile!"

"Brick Break!"

"Air Cutter!"

Gardenia growled through her teeth as all of the remaining Pokémon from the Team Flare Grunts ganged up on her. She figured she could ignore the Swalot that kept using Stockpile, so her attention went to the Golbat and Scraggy that were attempting to attack.

"Grr… Roserade, take shelter behind Torterra and use Grass Knot on the Scraggy!"

Roserade tried to fight against the razor-sharp winds coming off of every Golbat's wings, standing behind Torterra's sturdy body to protect itself from the winds. Even though Torterra was taking the brunt of the winds, Roserade tied up some of the Scraggy with Grass Knot and was able to save Torterra some hits from Brick Break. One of the Scraggy targeted the Roserade, and with a rough chop, Roserade was sent flying which was only worsened by the super-effective winds yet again.

Turning towards the Golbat, Gardenia tried so desperately again to think of a way to take those blasted Golbat down. None of her moves were effective against Golbat; she only had Grass, Poison, and Ground-type moves at her disposal. Except… Roserade did have one move that could hopefully help. Gardenia figured she had nothing to lose at that point.

"Roserade, are you okay?!" Gardenia focused back on her Pokémon, spotting how it was knocked down though was steadily rising after being blown away, "Weather Ball! It's the only move that we have left against the Golbat!"

Roserade raised one rose bouquet over its head, and from the wires of the Power Plant shot a bolt of electricity that channeled into Roserade's limb. Roserade directed its other bouquet at the Golbat, using the electricity it received from the Power Plant to shoot a large sphere of lightning at the Golbat, resulting in a huge explosion of sparks upon contact.

"Woah!" Gardenia said in shock, eyes going wide, "I-It could do that? Wow, I gotta fight in Power Plants more often… Again! We're taking out these Golbat! Torterra, Leaf Storm on the rest!"

In the midst of the maelstrom of leaves Torterra unleashed throughout the Power Plant, Roserade continued to send orbs of electricity with Weather Ball through the leaves and towards the horde of Golbat. Gradually Gardenia was beginning to wear down the numbers, and things were starting to look up on her end. If she could keep this up, she could take down the rest of these grunts without much of an issue.

"Alright…" Gardenia was able to smile for the first time since everything began, confidence regained, "Time for you to see why this 'kid' is really your worst nightmare!"

* * *

Ice Beam and Flamethrower slammed together in a clash to overpower one over the other. Neither one of the two moves came out victorious, and instead a huge gust of wind shot out from the collision site in an explosion. Ninetales returned back to Rouge's side, as did Raichu to Bleu's side. The Pokémon both stood tall in front of their Trainers, and Elizabeth used that break in fighting to push herself to her feet, finally having recovered from that nasty hit she took before.

"Alright… This stalemate is starting to get on my nerves…" Elizabeth growled, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, "It's time to crush Mr. Worldwide and Ginger Spice once and for all, and I'll do it without your help, heroes. I'll end this."

"Lizzy-" Rouge began in a saddened, hurt tone, though she quickly caught herself, "I-I mean, please! Let us help! You could barely stand when we first got here… Leave it to us!"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at the mention of her name, but she couldn't bring herself to care once Zoroark joined her side. Her attention went back to the admin and Aliana. "Like I said… I'm ending this. This has gone on for too long. Someone's got to send these buffoons running… and that's gonna be me."

Rouge balled her fists and let out an exasperated sigh, obviously upset with the answer. Before she could speak up, the admin cut her off.

"I agree with the punk!" The admin cut in, pointing towards the three Trainers and their Pokémon, "Fire Blast! We're ending this, but for Team Flare!"

A sudden pyre formed between Ninetales and Raichu, and that pyre wound up exploding in a grand fashion, engulfing the two Pokémon and even sending their two masked Trainers flying back because of the pressure. Elizabeth felt the shockwave coming off of the explosion, but she was too far behind Rouge and Bleu to be knocked back as a result. However, she saw as the two heroes flew past her, tumbling and barreling towards the edge of the platform she was on.

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she ran back to try and save them, and she was able to lean forward underneath the guard railing to grab Rouge's arm before she plummeted. Bleu had managed to grab Rouge's leg since he fell off the ledge first, so Elizabeth kept herself anchored against the duo's weight by hanging onto the guardrail as she tried to pull them up. It didn't help that Rouge was barely conscious, and that Elizabeth was using her non-dominant arm to pull them up.

Gritting her teeth, Elizabeth fought as hard as she could muster to not drop either of them, but she was feeling the pain shooting through her arm from trying to bear all that weight. In a desperate move, Elizabeth let go of the rail briefly to immediately reach into her pocket and pull out a Pokéball, summoning her Staraptor to help, "Get the blue one…!" She grunted behind her gritted teeth, throwing all of her weight backwards to try and not fall forward off the platform herself.

When Bleu's grip gave out, Staraptor caught him before he could fall far and guided him back up to the platform, safe from the edge. That left Elizabeth to heave Rouge onto the platform herself, causing Rouge's semi-conscious body to fall on top of hers. Elizabeth rolled Rouge off of her and pulled her away from the edge, and once Elizabeth set Rouge to lay down, she noticed how the cracked mask on Rouge's face was splitting apart, and when Rouge was set down that caused the mask to slip off, revealing her face.

"Sina." Elizabeth said, voice filled with less venom than before, "I figured it was you." Her gaze flickered over to Bleu, who had been clutching a newly exposed part of his arm, which was filled with burns. He ripped the mask off his face in that moment, showing his concerned and scared expression.

"Please…" Dexio said weakly, "Help us…"

Elizabeth sighed at that, standing up from where she kneeled at Sina's side and focusing back on Aliana. Her gaze couldn't help but pick up the fainted forms of Raichu and Ninetales as she did so. "Staraptor, get those two back to their Trainers. I want them out of the way so they don't get caught up in what's to come." Elizabeth commanded, gaze unwavering from Aliana as she stepped forward.

Aliana only set her hands on her hips, a smug look on her expression, "Well… Looks like I'm getting the last laugh after all." She snickered under her breath, all too satisfied with herself.

"Shut up." Elizabeth warned. Zoroark walked alongside her, its piercing blue eyes glowing with the fire to fight inside. Its eyes matched Elizabeth's own, blue and fueled with rage. "Cover me with Focus Blast. No tricks this time. Just victory."

Zoroark adjoined its claw in front of its body, charging a brown energy between its limbs before expelling a large beam that rippled through the air towards Mightyena. It was a direct hit, crashing into Mightyena and sending it sliding backwards.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" The admin jumped in, pointing towards Zoroark.

The vortex of fire crashed into Zoroark's crossed limbs over its face, though Elizabeth didn't waver at the sight of it. She only glanced at Zoroark out of the corner of her eye before settling in front of the machine that Aliana and the admin tried so hard to seal off.

Soon an opposite force of flames came from Zoroark, fighting against Houndoom's own stream of fire and pushing it back. Soon Zoroark was able to break off the conflicting Flamethrower attacks, causing the flames to disperse and catch on some of the surroundings.

"Crunch!" Aliana growled as an order.

Mightyena leaped forward despite its injured state, latching its fangs into Zoroark's mane. With a pronounced growl, Zoroark used this tether with Mightyena to send it flying into the air by spinning around, though Zoroark did fall to a knee following the attack.

"Hyper Beam!" Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at Staraptor, who had brought Sina and Dexio's fainted Pokémon to their sides.

Staraptor focused away from Ninetales and Raichu and opened its beak, charging a purple and black aura that then rocketed through the air, slamming right into the airborne Mightyena and leaving for a painful fall back onto the platform.

Elizabeth heard Mightyena fall against the grated floors of the platform while she was working on properly rerouting the electricity back to the city instead of to wherever Aliana had changed its direction. That gave her the go-ahead to continue, "Night Daze. End it!"

Zoroark's eyes glowed brightly and it joined its arms over its head before throwing them down, causing a huge dome of darkness to shoot out from its body and capture Mightyena and Houndoom within the black and red aura. When the shockwave subsided, it showed both Pokémon down for the count, much to the admin and Aliana's surprise.

"What?!" Aliana clenched her fists, "You brat…!"

"This can't be right! This wasn't supposed to happen!" The admin shouted.

Letting out a growl, Aliana tore her gaze away and focused on some way to escape, "Forget it… Let's get out of here! We stalled long enough for the energy we needed to gather… We're fine! Fall back!"

The admin nodded at that, eager to leave. They both turned to escape, but something still stood in their way.

"Not so fast!" Gardenia grinned proudly to herself while stomping her foot down in front of Aliana and the admin to cut them off. Her Roserade was situated on her shoulder, and she had recalled Torterra before making the move to the upper level. "Grass Knot!"

Roots and vines suddenly snaked around the two Team Flare agents' ankles and wrists, binding them and making them fall over. Gardenia placed a hand on her hip and lowered her chin, raising an eyebrow in a smug manner.

"You two can join the rest of your squad downstairs. I'm sure you'll all enjoy having each other… in prison." Gardenia gloated.

"You fended them off…?" Dexio asked, surprise showing through his pained expression.

"Every last one of them." Gardenia admitted with pride, "You know, I'm kinda sick of not getting the respect I deserve for being a Gym Leader. I wasn't going to let some novice soldiers get the best of me, even if they outnumbered me. I'm no kid to glance over." A pause. "Oh, hey Dexy!"

Dexio smiled faintly at that, though he couldn't keep that face for long before his expression contorted in a grimace from pain.

Suddenly Elizabeth flipped a switch and stepped away from the machine, listening as a different whirl of the machinery fill the Power Plant. She recalled Zoroark and Staraptor into their respective Pokéballs while she approached the other three, her attention mostly on Sina and Dexio.

"We're getting them out of here." Elizabeth said plainly, leaning down to pick up Sina and support Sina's weight on her back, "Could you take them to the hospital? I have to return to the stadium before the match starts. I was interrupted before I could do what I needed to before."

Gardenia raised an eyebrow quizzically and pursed her lips, "But I wanted to watch the match…"

"You don't have to stay with them. I just need them to get there as soon as possible, and I don't want them waiting as I handle my business first. You can go back to the stadium as soon as they're checked in." Elizabeth looked over at Gardenia, and while her expression looked as blank as over, there was still the hint of concern and emotion to her voice, "Please. I'll make it up to you."

With a sigh, Gardenia just nodded, "Alright. What on earth is so important that you gotta take care of so quickly, anyways?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask my sister that one." Elizabeth returned to her typical harsh voice as she walked away with Sina.

Gardenia frowned, helping Dexio to his feet and making sure he could walk on his own. It seemed as if she wasn't going to get that answer any time soon.

* * *

The lights to the stadium flickered for a few moments before they came on fully, illuminating the whole arena brightly. Diantha and Cynthia smiled at the sight, exhaling sighs of relief.

"Thank goodness…" Diantha said easily, "I was starting to get worried with how long they were taking."

"Elizabeth probably got distracted by some hot scientist at the Power Plant. No need to worry, really." Cynthia teased with a slight laugh.

Diantha let out a laugh too, "Still… I'm just glad we can finally get this match started already. This is far more stressful than I imagined."

"Yeah…" Cynthia said, almost distracted. Her gaze went to the sky and she let out a heavy sigh, looking about as if she were searching for something, "We need to get started, after all…"

Diantha was about to ask what had Cynthia so distracted, but she was stopped from doing so by Korrina and Marcus running up to where they were on the field.

"Diantha!" Korrina called out, sliding to a stop only a few feet away, "I think we're okay!"

"Everything is online and functional, and suspects involved in the blackout have been detained." Marcus explained further.

"Suspects…?" Diantha raised an eyebrow, "This wasn't just an accident?"

Marcus shared a look with Korrina before shaking his head, "We don't believe so, no. We believe someone caused this deliberately, or at least knew of something happening at the Power Plant. We apprehended persons of interest who were running reconnaissance here at the arena and reporting their findings back to a higher power."

"They also tried to fight us when we called them out on their suspicious behavior." Korrina chimed in.

"Oh goodness…" Diantha placed a hand on her chest, looking between Marcus and Korrina, "Are you two alright?"

Marcus just nodded, "All part of the job."

Korrina nodded too, but far too cheerily for the subject matter. "Yeah! I kicked a guy in the face!"

"Nice!" Cynthia exclaimed, a proud smile on her face. She was quickly elbowed by Diantha for that comment, though.

"Well… That's certainly some interesting information. We'll have to be in touch with the authorities then. If this truly was a deliberate attack on the stadium…" Diantha glanced over towards Cynthia, trailing off.

"I called them already." Marcus cut in, "I'll handle it during the match."

"Kick butt, you two!" Korrina clenched her fist from excitement, a wide grin on her face.

"You know it." Cynthia smiled for a brief moment, but again her gaze went back up to the sky. Luckily her wishes were answered in that moment, and Elizabeth dropped in with her Staraptor, landing in front of the four others and dismounting.

"Hey. Marcus." Elizabeth said as she recalled Staraptor, "I need a favor."

"Are you going to tell me to do my job again? Because trust me, I already know." Marcus commented dryly.

Elizabeth only raised an eyebrow, moderately impressed by that outburst, "I need someone to put in a call to the police that there are thirty-some captured intruders on the Power Plant grounds. All the workers fled. Those troublesome idiots need to be officially detained immediately before they break out of their grassy constraints."

"Thirty-some intruders?" Marcus repeated, "And you handled all of them?"

"Nope. Gardenia did." Elizabeth explained, "I only took down two. She did most of the work. I just fixed the electrical problem."

"Elizabeth, you look very injured…" Diantha commented with a concerned voice, "What all happened over at the Power Plant to cause this?"

Elizabeth turned away, "Nothing. It's handled. Just hold the match already." She made a pointed statement by pushing past Cynthia and knocking her shoulder into Cynthia's own.

Cynthia stumbled back from the shove, gritting her teeth and glancing over her shoulder at her sister's retreating form, "What's your problem?"

"I failed to follow through on my end of the bargain. I'm getting out of here." Elizabeth growled, not even looking behind her, "Don't blame her for whatever happens. It was my stupidity that caused this."

"What on earth are you…?" Cynthia began, though she glanced down at what had suddenly appeared in her hand that Elizabeth brushed past. She frowned at the sight before looking back at Elizabeth out of concern, "...Right. She'll be fine, I promise."

Clearing her throat, Cynthia stuffed what was in her hand into her pockets, focusing back on Diantha and the others, "Well… No point in stalling any longer." She forced a smile to her face, "These people have been waiting for a show. Let's get this started."

Diantha smiled as well, "Yes! I couldn't agree more!"

With that, Marcus and Korrina both made their way off the field. Marcus went back to his work, and Korrina made her way back up to that exclusive viewing balcony again. The first thing she noticed was how Sina and Dexio were gone, and she raised an eyebrow at the sight.

Suddenly Gardenia ran forward and joined Korrina near the edge of the balcony, hurriedly looking over the railing towards the field, "Did I miss anything?!"

Korrina shook her head, "Nope, they're just getting started."

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was gonna miss it!" Gardenia let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey…" Korrina scratched her cheek, "Have you seen Sina and Dexio?"

Gardenia froze at that and she tried to recover to give a reasonable excuse, "Uh… Yeah! They ditched us! They're sitting with Augustine somewhere else like a bunch of losers!"

Korrina narrowed her eyes, "What?! They picked _him_ over us?!"

"I know, right?! Talk about bad taste!"

"You said it…" Korrina crossed her arms and closed her eyes with a sigh. Eventually, she opened one eye at Gardenia and grinned, though she tried to suppress it, "So, what team are you on?"

Gardenia grinned too, "Honestly? I hope Diantha stomps Cynthia into dust…"

Korrina let her grin widen, "Me too."

Linking her arm with Korrina's, Gardenia jumped up and down before they both shouted, "Gooooo Diantha!"

* * *

Elizabeth crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching as the television in the hospital room started to play the match between Diantha and Cynthia. She averted her gaze before long, unable to keep watching. Part of her still felt sour at how Cynthia would be throwing away her record like that, and then there was that new level of bitterness that arose in her after knowingly failing to deliver on Cynthia's request of her. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel angry at how she might have just jeopardized the secrecy of the staged match due to her mistakes. For once, she felt bad for letting Cynthia down.

Before she could dwell on that for long, Elizabeth's gaze drifted over to Sina, who had just stirred from her sleep. Sina seemed to look around, trying to piece together her surroundings, and upon noticing that she was in a hospital, Sina suddenly tried to sit up but was stopped by the pain she felt. Elizabeth peeled herself off the wall and walked closer, slowly making her way towards Sina's bed with her arms still crossed.

"Dexio…" Sina said quietly once she spotted Elizabeth, "W-Where is he…?"

Elizabeth set her index and middle fingers on Sina's jawline, gently turning her head to the right, "He's right there, don't worry. He's resting. You should too."

Sina slowly sunk back down on the bed once she saw that Dexio was okay, and her eyes caught sight of the TV screen in the room. "The match…" She looked at Elizabeth, "Shouldn't you be there? You don't have to stay with us..."

"I've seen my sister fight plenty of times. It gets old. I don't need to see her win again." Elizabeth even smiled faintly as she pulled her hand away from Sina's cheek.

Sina smiled too, raising an eyebrow playfully, "Somebody's confident…"

"She's taken down all of the Champions before, Diantha included. She can do it again." Elizabeth sat down in a chair nearby, crossing her legs and leaning back.

"I thought you didn't like your sister." Sina teased and closed her eyes, "I didn't expect you to root for her."

Elizabeth tilted her head and let her smile grow, "I never said I was rooting for her… I just said I knew she would win."

"Right, right…" Sina laughed to herself, "Just watch. Didi will surprise you. I guarantee it."

"If you say so." Elizabeth averted her gaze to the ground before she stood up, "Rest. You need it."

Nodding, Sina wrapped an arm around her stomach and shifted to try and make herself more comfortable. She turned her head towards Elizabeth, looking as if she wanted to say something but unsure if she should actually say it. "Hey, Lizzy… Can you promise me something?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, "If you want me to promise to stay here with you, I was going to do it anyways. But I'll swear on it if I have to."

Sina blinked a few times in surprise, stunned with that response. She opened her mouth to say something but she ultimately decided against it, smiling instead, "...Thanks, Lizzy. It means a lot to me." She said quietly, closing her eyes and getting situated to fall asleep.

"Of course." Elizabeth settled back in next to the wall, leaning against it with her arms crossed. She noticed Sina's hesitance before and her brow creased as a result, but she simply pushed it to the back of her mind. Elizabeth figured that Sina would tell her later anyways. She turned back to the television to watch the match as it started, keeping a watchful eye on Cynthia.

"I hope Diantha wipes the floor with Cynthia." Sina said suddenly, eyes still closed but a smile on her lips.

Elizabeth laughed under her breath and shook her head, "You know what? Me too…"


	12. Cynthia vs Diantha! The Rematch!

With everything online again after the blackout, the match was ready to go underway. The screens throughout the stadium broadcasted Cynthia and Diantha's headshots in a versus matchup, and in a triangular formation around the headshots were three grey Pokéball icons that would represent the two Champions' parties. The referee made his way out to the field, and soon the announcer would begin his introduction.

"Greetings one and all!" The announcer's voice boomed throughout the stadium, "Without further ado, let's get this show started and introduce today's A-List combatants!"

After the raucous cheers of the sold-out stadium died down, the announcer continued, "Introducing today's challenger but certainly no pushover herself, we have Champion Cynthia from the far-off Sinnoh region! Let's give it up for the challenger!"

When Cynthia stepped out onto the field, the stadium again erupted in applause and cheers. The announcer took this as an opportunity to discuss Cynthia further. "She's the reigning Champion over in Sinnoh for three years, is running undefeated at the Pokémon World Tournament, and she has never lost a battle against a Champion yet! Just how will she shape up to her opponent, however?"

The cameras circled Cynthia while she made her entrance, and once she was standing in the center Pokéball icon on the field, one of the cameras came in for a close-up. Cynthia merely flashed a smug grin to the camera, waving slowly and teasingly. The footage, which was broadcasted on the stadium's LED screens all over the place, managed to rile up the crowd even more with cheers.

"For someone who claimed to hate all the attention and fans from the movie…" Diantha began, crossing her arms with a fond smile on her face, "She's a sure natural in appealing to them."

"And for the one you've all been waiting for, the movie star with a fighting side, the one, the only Champion Diantha!"

Diantha made her way out into the field then, earning cheers louder than Cynthia had even with her fanservice for the camera. It seemed like she would have the homefield advantage this time, even if the match was set up in her favor. The audience just would not die down, and when Diantha blew a kiss into the cameras, the cheers just grew even louder as if that were even possible compared to before.

Cynthia could only grin at the sight, placing a hand on her hip as Diantha approached her in the center of the arena, "Already, the crowd's all over you… This should play out well by the end."

Diantha placed a finger to her lips, "Shh… We can't say too much, now can we?"

Shrugging simply with the ghost of a grin on her lips, Cynthia glanced over at the referee who had stepped up to his podium.

"Alright, Champions!" The referee gestured to the two of them, "I'll just need some sportsmanly handshakes and we can get on our way!"

Diantha nodded and turned back to Cynthia, holding her hand out. Cynthia went to take Diantha's hand, but at the last minute she pulled away and slyly ran her hand through her hair in a clear diss. The crowd, upon seeing this on the screens, reacted in either laughs, gasps, or other murmurs. Diantha gasped as well, though she couldn't suppress the smile that formed as well. Cynthia eventually laughed and held her arms out, and the two of them hugged instead. The audience all applauded and cheered as a response, and soon the referee spoke back up.

"That's good, that's good! Positions, if you'd please!" As Diantha and Cynthia walked towards the trainer boxes designated by the markings on the ground, the referee rubbed his hands together before throwing his arms out to his sides in excitement, "This will be a three-on-three match! Whoever dispatches the opponent's three Pokémon first, wins! Champion Diantha! Seeing as Champion Cynthia is the challenger, you are called to present your Pokémon first! Champion Cynthia can strategize her selection against yours however she sees fit!"

Up in the balcony, Korrina nudged Gardenia with her elbow, snickering to herself in anticipation, "Just you wait! Homegirl is going all out this time around! She's got her strongest partners on her side now, ones who've been there since the beginning!"

Gardenia smiled and glanced at Korrina, "New partners, huh? I saw how strong her team was before back during their first match… If she has ones on her side who are stronger, then she's so got this in the bag!"

Once Diantha reached her designated position, she pulled out a Pokéball and hit the button in the center to maximize it, "Pachirisu, the spotlight's on you!"

In a flash of pink smoke from a Seal, Pachirisu appeared from out of the Pokéball onto the battlefield. Cynthia could only grin at the sight.

"So, you're trying to use Pokémon from my own region against me, hmm?" Cynthia mused, reaching for a Pokéball of her own, "You're going to regret that. Spiritomb, battle dance! Oh, and I see you using those Seals, by the way." She winked.

The Forbidden Pokémon joined Pachirisu on the battlefield, and there was a pronounced, audible shriek from somewhere in the audience as soon as Spiritomb appeared. Cynthia and Diantha knew who it was immediately; Diantha fought against a smile whereas Cynthia just hung her head. Gardenia, who was of course responsible for the shriek, was cowering behind a very confused Korrina at that point.

"You frightened the poor child." Diantha commented in a sing-song voice.

"Yeah. Got that." Cynthia said dryly.

Korrina looked over her shoulder at Gardenia, "You okay back there?"

"G-G-G-Ghost!" Gardenia stammered, teeth clattering and her whole body shaking.

"Champion Cynthia, you receive the first move! Let the match…. BEGIN!" The referee jolted everyone from their distracted state, throwing his hand down to signal the start of the match.

"I'll apologize to Gardenia later…" Cynthia said under her breath, shaking her head to regain her composure and swagger, "Rock Tomb!"

Spiritomb rocked backwards on the Odd Keystone before extending its neck outwards towards Pachirisu, causing multiple rocks cloaked in a strange green aura to fly towards Pachirisu. Contrary to Cynthia's preconceived expectations of the EleSquirrel Pokémon, Pachirisu dodged in an outstanding display of speed, rushing towards Spiritomb and closing the distance in no time.

Diantha could only watch with a smug look on her face, "Bite!"

Pachirisu opened its mouth to reveal glowing fangs, and with its impeccable speed, it was able to sink its teeth into Spiritomb easily. Spiritomb's typically smug expression contorted into that of a grimace at the pain from such a move, eyes growing wonky.

"Dark Pulse!" Cynthia countered, furrowing her brow. She gravely underestimated this Pachirisu, but she wouldn't let that go on for much longer. Spiritomb was a star among Cynthia's team as well.

Before Pachirisu could lose its tether on Spiritomb, Spiritomb used its close quarters with Pachirisu to its advantage by firing a ray of darkness point-blank, pushing Pachirisu away and into the air. Even so, that didn't seem to defer Diantha in the slightest, and Pachirisu didn't seem horribly bothered despite the scuff marks that appeared on its fur.

"Iron Tail!"

Pachirisu focused on Spiritomb while midair, its tail hardening and turning metallic. Flipping a few times in its descent, Pachirisu smashed its tail down upon Spiritomb, attacking with the added momentum of the fall. This caused the ground around Spiritomb to give way, forming a crater with Spiritomb inside.

Cynthia balled her fists. This kind of strength from a Pachirisu shouldn't be possible… "Shadow Ball!"

Gathering a sphere of darkness in front of its body, Spiritomb sent it rocketing towards Pachirisu for another direct hit. This one seemed to faze Pachirisu much more than the last attack, but Pachirisu wasn't down yet.

"Thunder." There was a devious hint to Diantha's tone as she said that, and her grin widened considerably.

Cynthia caught wind of that sort of smugness quickly, and she hurried to act against it, "Sucker Punch, hurry!"

Spiritomb retreated back into the Odd Keystone to lunge forward at Pachirisu before it could attack with Thunder, but with a loud cry, Pachirisu caused a large burst of electricity to erupt off its body in a direct streak of lightning at Spiritomb, effectively cutting off Sucker Punch and electrocuting the Odd Keystone in a violent burst. The Odd Keystone fell to the ground, and slowly Spiritomb's ghost reemerged from the cracks from being unable to contain itself inside any longer, crosses for eyes.

"Spiritomb is unable to battle!" The referee called it, motioning towards Diantha, "Pachirisu wins!"

"Oh my _god._ " Cynthia blinked out of utter confusion, staring at that Pachirisu with a creased brow.

"Oh my god!" Korrina shouted as well, "Gardenia! You're safe now!"

"Huh? Already?" Gardenia glanced back at the arena, seeing Cynthia recall Spiritomb into its Pokéball, "Wow… That was really, _really_ quick…"

"I know. That Pachirisu is a beast…" Korrina shook her head in pure surprise.

Diantha tilted her head and let her gaze fall on her Pachirisu, "Bien fait, ma jolie. Ça, c'était vraiment facile, non?"

"I don't know what you said, but I feel like you're bragging." Cynthia commented, allowing herself to smile after that brutal defeat.

"I was." Diantha laughed like a kid caught in a scam.

Cynthia glanced at the largest screen in the stadium just off to her right, seeing as Spiritomb's image among Cynthia's three-spot team faded into grey from being knocked out. Even so, she did not lose her smile, and she simply threw her next Pokéball out onto the field.

Lucario landed gracefully on the stadium floor, rising to stand tall. It was unlike him to stand so nonchalantly and unfit for battle, and Diantha merely raised an eyebrow at the sight. There was something holding Lucario back, Diantha could tell from past experience against him.

"I'm glad you're bringing it your all, Diantha. I really am. At least this way I won't feel bad for what's about to come next." Cynthia's expression took on a proud, confident, and near arrogant shade as she let her cloak open wide, revealing her outfit underneath. There was a shining silver chain hooked onto the belt loops of her pants, and there was a small, multicolored orb at the center of that chain. Diantha could only smile at the sight, knowing full well what came next. "Lucario! Battle formation!" Cynthia shouted, kicking off the transformation.

The Key Stone off the Mega Chain reacted with the Lucarionite embedded in the gauntlet, both stones shining brilliantly until Lucario became enveloped in a pink energy. The energy swirled around Lucario and obstructed him from view until it burst off of his body, revealing Lucario as taller, covered in black markings, and with newly red appendages and limbs.

"There it is!" Korrina jumped up in joy, grabbing onto Gardenia excitedly, "Look! Look, she's doing it! She did it! She even improved on the dramatic flair just like I told her to!"

Even with Gardenia's own unfavorable opinions on Mega Evolution, she had to smile at both Korrina's excitement and at Cynthia's growth. Although, that smile did fade and eventually Gardenia just raised an eyebrow. "When did she get that chain?"

"From yours truly, of course! It took forever to make just right for her! She isn't the jewelry wearing type so we had to really think hard on where to put that Key Stone. The chain fits her image, doesn't it?" Korrina looked back at Cynthia below, "I barely got it to her in time before the match… Well, before the blackout happened, that is. I'm glad I got it to her in time though! Look at her go!"

Diantha placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head, gaze drifting between Mega Lucario and Cynthia, "So, this is what all your training with Korrina has led up to…" Her expression was filled with pride as well, "Well done, Cynthia. I'm so glad to see you've accepted Mega Evolution even if it didn't work out with Garchomp."

"Oh, it did work out with Garchomp. We just thought it was unfair." Cynthia amended playfully, sending Diantha a wink, "Lucario enjoys this much better, after all. He's been dying to show off his mastery of the form."

"A mastery achieved in such a short amount of time, too…" Diantha lowered her chin in preparation for battle, "Alright, Cynthia… Show me what you and Lucario trained so hard for!"

"Gladly. Flash Cannon!" Cynthia shouted, finger aimed at Pachirisu.

Throwing a single palm in the direction of Pachirisu, Lucario fired off a silver-colored blast that shot through the air and slammed into Pachirisu with only a second's elapse. Pachirisu went flying backwards and skidding on the ground, and slowly it had to rise from off the ground in such a wounded state.

Diantha was torn between happiness for Cynthia and concern for her Pachirisu, but knowing that she had a match to fight made the decision quite easy. Pachirisu needed her focus more. "Are you alright?" She asked as Pachirisu stood up, covered in marks and scrapes; however, it wasn't backing down. "Thunder, again!"

Electricity crackled off of Pachirisu's small stature before shooting off at Lucario in a wide burst of lightning. Lucario was pushed back from the direct hit, feet digging into the ground and leaving a trail. Once the brutal electricity subsided, Lucario was shown with a blue energy emitting off his body due to his Aura powers rising from the heavy damage it sustained.

"Now that's a boost we could use right about now…" Cynthia laughed under her breath, "High Jump Kick!"

Lucario dashed at Pachirisu and delivered a powerful knee to the EleSquirrel Pokémon, sending it flying skyward.

"Now Extreme Speed!"

The image of Lucario seemingly vanished due to the unfathomable speeds he reached with the attack, appearing right above Pachirisu before sending the other Pokémon right into the ground with a sharp kick. This caused another crater to form in the collision's wake, and from inside the crater Pachirisu was shown to have been fainted.

"Pachirisu is unable to battle!" The referee motioned towards Cynthia, "Mega Lucario wins! The score is tied at one, all!"

Diantha recalled Pachirisu with closed eyes, "You did great, as always. I can always count on you for a good surprise." Her attention went back to Cynthia, "You two have truly grown strong together. No wonder you could pass Korrina's training so easily."

"It wasn't easy, actually." Cynthia admitted, mellowing out from her confident display earlier. Her gaze went to Lucario, who was standing on the defensive. "It took a lot of hard work to get to where we are now, but in the end, all the struggle made us stronger. Isn't that right?"

Lucario nodded sternly with a gruff 'hmph' as a reply.

Cynthia smiled as a result, "I gotta admit, that Pachirisu of yours is freakishly powerful. You surprised me there. To think you were hiding power like this from me before… If the rest of your team today is as strong as this, then you're gonna give me a nice challenge."

With a toss of a Pokéball, Diantha merely placed a hand on her hip and watched as Greninja landed on the field, staring down Lucario, "I'm sure I'll give you more than just a challenge." She teased, grinning to herself, "Greninja, the spotlight's on you!"

"Oh?" Cynthia tilted her head, growing amused, "Yet I swear there is someone else on your team far better suited to tackle Lucario… What an interesting choice."

Diantha merely pressed a finger to her lips, quirking an eyebrow playfully, "Let's not get too hasty now… The next move is yours."

"What's with the sudden stop in action?" Korrina asked, pushing up against the railing to try and get a better look.

"I… think they're flirting somehow, in that own unique way of theirs..." Gardenia laughed nervously and scratched at her cheek.

"Aura Sphere. Look sharp." Cynthia snapped her fingers. There was an air of confidence to her, as if she knew she had this one in the bag.

Lucario drew his paws to his side, spawning a large orb of blue energy between his two palms before sending it coursing towards Greninja. Greninja merely leaped high into the air to avoid it, gaze trained on Lucario the whole time.

"Water Shuriken!" Diantha ordered.

Summoning three discs forged of water, Greninja threw them at Lucario from its position above in midair, two of which made their mark. Lucario stumbled back, and the blue energy that emanated off of him grew darker and stronger.

"High Jump Kick!"

When Greninja was only feet above the ground before landing, Lucario rushed after it and slammed his knee into Greninja just when it was about to land. This sent Greninja backwards, but the Ninja Pokémon was quick to recover and bring itself to a stop.

Diantha narrowed her eyes for a brief moment, examining the Mega Lucario, "Let's go with Scald."

A large stream of boiling hot water shot out from Greninja's hands, and once it made contact with Lucario, an unpleasant hiss from the burning contact sounded. Lucario growled from the pain, his Steel-typing amplifying the damage behind the burns, and again the Aura around him grew.

"Channel that anger into Aura Sphere! Again!" Cynthia shouted, clenching her one fist.

This time, when Lucario drew his paws together to gather energy, the Aura Sphere grew to rival his height, and he sent the bursting energy flying towards Greninja. This one made its mark, and Greninja was pushed back again, hanging low on the ground for a few moments in pain before rising to stand again.

"Hydro Cannon!"

Cynthia threw her hand out to the side, "Counter with Flash Cannon!"

Just as Greninja sent a large torrent of water at Lucario, Lucario send a radiant beam of silver energy back at the Ninja Pokémon. The two attacks clashed with a potent shockwave rippling from the sheer power backed behind both moves, and there ensued a battle to try and overpower the other with their attacks. It was a relative stalemate, since every time Hydro Cannon overpowered Flash Cannon for a second, Flash Cannon pushed back and vice versa. Soon both Pokémon broke off their attacks, causing another shockwave to emit from the collision site.

The winds from the shockwave jostled Cynthia's cloak, and she let out a stunted breath as she tried to think of a way out. "High Jump Kick, again!"

Diantha gritted her teeth in response, "Use Water Shuriken to block!"

This time, when Greninja forged a disc of water, it held onto the shuriken and instead used it as a shield when Lucario's knee attempted to drive into Greninja's stomach. Lucario hopped backwards, but when he surged back in, he was instead trying to go for a close-quarters combat with more punches and kicks, devoid of any actual move. Greninja used the Water Shuriken still to block and match Lucario's attacks, but given any openings, Greninja also used the shuriken to swipe at Lucario with. The two were locked in a fierce battle as such, moving an incredible speeds to duel out these fast-paced attacks, and just when Cynthia was starting to notice them slowing down while in the middle of the brawl, she decided to take matters back into her own hands.

"Extreme Speed!"

Lucario threw up an arm to intercept Greninja's Water Shuriken, holding his ground to keep them locked in a stalemate. Once they were no longer moving in accordance with a close-quarters brawl, Lucario was able to use this opening to nearly vanish from sight with his speed before appearing behind Greninja to deal a nasty kick to the back. When Greninja flew forward and landed face-first on the ground, it became quite obvious that it was down for the count.

"Greninja is unable to battle!" The referee motioned to Cynthia, "Mega Lucario wins!"

Diantha let out a heavy exhale, withdrawing the fainted Greninja and pulling out her final Pokéball. Her gaze was locked on Cynthia, jaw clenched tightly. For someone who was supposed to throw the match, Cynthia was making Diantha fight for such a privilege. She was wondering if she could pull it off, but then Diantha was reminded that her final team member had both a type advantage and a lack of fatigue. Mega Lucario had fought two hard battles, and while its Aura was at its peak, that also meant that Lucario had sustained a lot of damage. She just needed to get that last edge over Lucario, and then Cynthia would know not to let her last Pokémon win. The end was in sight.

"Gardevoir, the spotlight's on you! It's time to take center stage!"

Diantha's trademark partner Gardevoir appeared in a combination of stars, hearts, and sparkles from the Seals. Cynthia couldn't help but smile again at the sight.

"It really is nice to see you using a Sinnohan specialty." She said in reference to the Seals, "Is this how you feel when seeing me use Mega Evolution?"

"I'd say it's similar." Diantha let herself grin as well. Her attention was drawn by Lucario's loud growling, and Diantha could only raise an eyebrow curiously.

"You'll have to forgive him. He still holds a grudge for being wiped out so easily by Gardevoir the last time we fought." Cynthia seemed to sigh with a hint of sadness and regret, "He really does want to win…"

Diantha felt that sadness as well, but she pushed the feeling aside and instead placed a hand over her Mega Charm, causing the Key Stone to glow and resonate with the Mega Stone Gardevoir wore. A pink energy surrounded Gardevoir until it dissipated to reveal the Pokémon in its Mega Evolved form, and Diantha forced herself to smile for the act she had to keep up.

"Moonblast!" Diantha ordered, confidence in her tone.

Hoisting its arms over its head, Gardevoir charged a magenta energy into a sphere before throwing it down upon Lucario. Lucario tried to jump out of the way but was still subjected to some of the blast, causing it to fall to a knee.

Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows, lips pursed. It was a sad sight to watch, but it was something she had to do. "Flash Cannon!"

Lucario fired off the blast of silver energy at Gardevoir, earning a direct hit. Cynthia wasn't finished there, however.

"Now, Extreme Speed!"

Lucario charged Gardevoir and went for a harsh kick to Gardevoir's midsection, causing Gardevoir to stumble back, though she recovered despite the pain from Lucario's Aura-augmented attacks.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Diantha shouted.

Aiming a hand at Lucario, Gardevoir caused pink spikes to fly towards the Aura Pokémon, and that move seemed to be just enough to cause Lucario to fly backwards, landing on the ground and kicking dust into the sky. When the dust cleared, Lucario had regressed into his base form, unconscious.

"Mega Lucario is unable to battle!" The referee shouted and pointed to Diantha, "Mega Gardevoir wins! The score is tied two, all! Next matchup decides the victor!"

"You got a few great hits in." Cynthia spoke to herself while withdrawing Lucario, "One day, you'll get the rematch you deserve…"

Diantha placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head, shifting her weight to a sole leg, "The end is drawing near… You're making for a great battle, that's for sure."

"Well, well…" Cynthia was tossing and catching her last Pokéball, a smirk on her face, "I guess it really is the end, huh? As much fun as I'm having, I feel bad to be the one who draws it to such a quick close… Well, perhaps I can play around a bit. I'm sure I can oblige to that."

Cynthia's words caused Diantha to raise an eyebrow; she had no idea what Cynthia was getting at. Before Diantha could ask what Cynthia was talking about, Cynthia threw that Pokéball forward.

"Garchomp, battle formation!"

When the Dragon-type landed loudly on the field and let out a mighty roar, Diantha found herself taking an uneasy step back as her eyes shot wide. A bead of sweat formed on her temple and trickled downward, and she clenched her fists at the sight. Cynthia had promised not to use her powerhouse in the match, and yet here Diantha was, staring down Garchomp in all of its glory.

Mega Gardevoir couldn't pull out victorious at full health against base-form Garchomp. How could a wounded Mega Gardevoir measure up against Garchomp now?!

* * *

Back at the hospital, Elizabeth was barely paying attention to the match that was going on. Her attention was instead either on Sina and Dexio or she was simply lost in her own mind. When the commentators of the match stated that Cynthia's second Pokémon was down, Elizabeth opened her eyes and turned her head towards the screen on the wall. She walked closer to it, facing the screen fully and uncrossing her arms. She watched as Cynthia tossed a Pokéball in her hand before revealing Garchomp, and at the sight, Elizabeth tensed and clenched her fists tightly.

"Tch…" She gritted her teeth, causing that noise to come out. Elizabeth couldn't help but see the way Garchomp shuddered ever so slightly, chest rising and falling deeper than it should have been.

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth muttered under her breath, "I'm sorry…"

* * *

Elizabeth wasn't the only one to realize the slight shift in Garchomp's typical demeanor, since Cynthia let out a soft sigh upon seeing Garchomp stand, "So, that's why she was so hard on herself… Don't worry, girl. We'll do our best."

Diantha slowly came to furrow her eyebrows, narrowing her eyes at Garchomp. It seemed as if Cynthia pulled a fast one on her, so it looked like Diantha would end up having to resort to Gardenia's proposed strategies after all.

"Come on…" Gardenia watched the fight, gaze trained on Diantha, "Remember what I told you! Those Psychic-type moves are the key to winning!"

"Flamethrower!" Cynthia started off with.

Garchomp opened its mouth, expelling a great vortex of flames in the direction of Gardevoir. Gardevoir was able to gracefully dodge the attack, and it grew closer towards Garchomp in such a move.

"Moonblast!"

Charging up another large sphere of pink energy over its head, Gardevoir sent it down upon Garchomp. It crushed Garchomp underneath it, and when the light and energy faded away, it revealed Garchomp to be on a single knee, trying to push itself back up.

Diantha raised an eyebrow at the sight. She knew that a Fairy-type move against Garchomp would be super-effective, but even so, it seemed as if Garchomp had suffered an abnormal amount of damage from such a move. She wouldn't complain, however. She also knew not to underestimate Garchomp. Garchomp was still very much a threat, and Diantha needed to dispatch of it quickly. Gardenia's strategy it was. "Psychic!"

Gardevoir's eyes glowed a vibrant blue after drawing its hands near its head and focusing. She tried to evade Garchomp's mind and confuse it to reduce its speed, but Garchomp appeared to be wholly unaffected. Diantha grew even more confused at the sight, and Gardevoir simply tried harder to get Psychic to work.

Cynthia smiled at the sight and tilted her head, "Come on. Poison Jab."

Garchomp shot forward, its claw cloaked in a bright purple as it rammed into Gardevoir's midsection as Gardevoir still tried to attempt Psychic on Garchomp.

"Shadow Ball!" Cynthia continued.

Their close proximity proving to be an advantage, Garchomp used the opportunity to launch a point-blank Shadow Ball right into Gardevoir, sending Gardevoir flying back.

"Psyshock!" Diantha called out, "One of these moves has to work!"

Pink and blue masses of energy appeared around Garchomp, firing off blasts that all converged inward on it. That still did not faze Garchomp at all, and it seemed as if the attacks weren't even hitting Garchomp even though visually that's what they appeared to have been doing.

"Dig!"

Garchomp buried under the ground, disappearing from sight for a few moments until randomly shooting out of the ground and uppercutting Gardevoir. The attack left visible holes in the ground from where Garchomp entered and exited from as well.

Diantha gritted her teeth at the sight. Psychic-types weren't working, for whatever reason. She had to resort to something else… "Dazzling Gleam!"

The pink sparkles fired at Garchomp, and even though Garchomp hoisted its wing over its head to try and minimize the damage it received, it was still a powerful attack. Garchomp appeared to be growing uneasy following such a move, though it was holding on strong.

"Night Daze! Come on!" Cynthia commanded, "You're close!"

Eyes flashing a piercing blue for a moment, Garchomp suddenly crossed its limbs over its head before throwing its limbs downward, causing a shockwave of black and red to pulsate outwards. This crashed into Gardevoir, though Gardevoir crossed its arms over its face in enough time to defend herself.

"Wait a minute…" Gardenia glanced down at her hands, suddenly extending a few fingers. Her mind wasn't skilled in that area, though she still tried to go over things, "That's not right… That's five moves…"

Gardenia wasn't the only one who noticed something amiss; Diantha did as well. That last attack of Garchomp's made it clear as to what was really going on, and suddenly Diantha realized why her Psychic-type attacks didn't work. However, Fairy-type moves would still be super-effective. "Moonblast, max power! End this!"

Throwing the gargantuan sphere of energy upon Garchomp, Gardevoir watched as the explosion of light ensued afterwards. Dirt and debris kicked up from the powerful move as well, so things were hung in suspense until everything became clear.

Garchomp's image shuddered, almost as if it were fading out of existence, until the illusion finally wore off and revealed Zoroark unconscious in Garchomp's place to surprised gasps in the audience. The holes in the ground from Dig vanished as well, since the move, alongside Poison Jab, was only an illusion as well.

"Zoroark is unable to battle!" The referee turned to Diantha, "Mega Gardevoir wins! The victor is Champion Diantha in a narrow 3-2 victory! The undefeated Champion Cynthia has finally met her match by Kalos's one and only Champion Diantha!"

The audience erupted in cheers for their Champion, and Diantha merely waved to the people in celebration.

Cynthia turned around and shrugged, a guilty smile on her face, "Well, can't win them all!"

Diantha looked over towards Cynthia in that moment and shook her head fondly. Recalling Gardevoir after sharing her thanks, Diantha made her way over to Cynthia, who had went to Zoroark's side and kneeled.

"You really had me worried there, you know." Diantha forced herself to laugh, "I thought you had changed your mind and decided to grab that win for yourself."

Cynthia glanced up at Diantha for a moment with a smile, "I'm nothing but a woman of my word, that I promise."

"You said you weren't going to use Garchomp…" Diantha pointed out teasingly.

"I didn't. I only made it seem like I did." Cynthia laughed to herself, "Even with an actress as great as yourself, I wanted some genuine worry and fear out of you. That way we could really sell the whole match."

"Well, you certainly succeeded." Diantha kneeled down next to Zoroark as well.

Cynthia glanced down at Zoroark, a saddened look on her face, "Poor girl… That's why Elizabeth was so hard on herself once she came back. You must've gotten hurt at the Power Plant so Elizabeth thought you wouldn't last against Gardevoir long enough to give a convincing fight."

Diantha smiled slightly, "Zoroark was nothing but formidable. To endure two super-effective moves while critically injured going in? That strength is admirable. Elizabeth raised her well."

"Yeah. I should get Zoroark healed as soon as possible, though. I'd hate to see anything else happen to her, especially for Elizabeth's sake." Cynthia tucked her arm underneath Zoroark and lifted its upper body off the ground. Zoroark squeezed its eyes and let out a hiss, still injured. Cynthia returned Zoroark to its rightful Pokéball before standing back up.

Joining Cynthia, Diantha stood up and let out a sigh, placing her hands on her hips. There was a ghost of a smile on her face, however. "Did you tell Gardenia to give me that strategy against Garchomp to solely rely on Psychic-type moves against her knowing that it would be ineffective against a Dark-type like Zoroark?"

"Hmm?" Cynthia quirked an eyebrow, "Not at all. I didn't tell Gardenia that the match was staged. The only people who knew were me, you, Korrina, and Elizabeth after I asked for her help with Zoroark."

Diantha let out a nervous laugh, "So she gave me that counterproductive advice on her own accord, huh…?"

Cynthia closed her eyes and smiled, mirroring the same nervous laugh, "Looks like it…!"

"Well, let's not dwell on that any longer…" Composing herself, Diantha looked to Cynthia and tilted her head, "It's been a long day… I say it's about time we leave."

"I couldn't agree more." Cynthia nodded, and together the two of them made their way off the arena floor. They entered one of the tunnels, and from there they were able to see Gardenia and Korrina running towards them.

Korrina rolled right up to Cynthia, an excited smile on her face, "You and Lucario were amazing out there! He took down two of Diantha's strongest all on his own! You two have totally got this whole balance thing down!"

"I know, right?" Cynthia grinned back, "Thank goodness I got that Key Stone in time, though… It wouldn't have been possible without you."

Korrina tried to play bashful at that, but even she couldn't hide her satisfaction with herself and she ended up snickering, "Heehee… I know."

Meanwhile, Gardenia had thrown her arms around Diantha in a hug, nearly tackling her to the ground as a result, "I knew you could do it, Diantha! I knew you had it in you to defeat the undefeated!"

Diantha stumbled backwards as a result, but miraculously she was able to stay upright- or rather, Cynthia had reached out and caught Diantha with a hand on her back. "It wasn't easy, that was for sure…" Diantha smiled faintly, "Thanks for rooting for me, Gardenia. It means a lot."

"She got me." Cynthia laughed under her breath, "I can't say she doesn't deserve it, either. If I had to lose to anyone, I'm glad it was her."

Diantha looked over at Cynthia after her hug with Gardenia ended, and she leaned to join Cynthia's lips with hers. Cynthia happily returned the kiss, and Gardenia could only frown at the sight of Cynthia being so lighthearted and supportive after a loss against Diantha.

"S-Stop that…" Gardenia mumbled, sagging her shoulders and pursing her lips, "You're making me feel bad for rooting against you!"

Cynthia broke off the kiss at that, turning towards Gardenia with a shocked look, "Wait, you rooted against me?! _Gardenia!_ How could you?!"

Diantha let out a hollow, nervous laugh, lowering her head into her hand as Gardenia frantically tried to reassure an offended Cynthia and Korrina only laughed hysterically as a result.

This was a wild bunch she got herself tangled in with…


End file.
